


The other Victim

by WoeyLeaf



Category: Persona 4
Genre: Dead protagonist, Gen, Yosuke has the wildcard now
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-08
Updated: 2020-02-24
Packaged: 2021-02-25 20:41:50
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 23
Words: 53,298
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21721639
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WoeyLeaf/pseuds/WoeyLeaf
Summary: What happens when Yu Narukami is found dead one morning hanging from the telephone wires?(When the main protagonist dies).[Discontinued]
Relationships: None
Comments: 9
Kudos: 76





	1. Chapter 1

Yu Narukami was running yet late again. They had a very stressful week, with what little free time they had spending it in the other world.

But now he and his friends now have more free time after their excessive amounts of school work and there was no one in need of saving, so with his weak, tired mind he tried to take a nap only to wake up later than he planned. Now in his rushed state he quickly went about his usual morning routine. He made sure he had everything; his bag, his battered pencil case and most importantly his food box which he had prepared yesterday.

He was already running by the time he had left the house. If he was late again he would be called back in class for his poor attendance, and he did NOT want to give Ms Kashiwagi another chance for her to hit on him, especially after the incident at the hotel. He'd rather not spend any more time with her than is necessary. 

Nearing the school he took out his phone to check the time to see if he was still able to at least make it after the second bell at most. However, just as he went around the bend near the school entrance he crashed into something. It was Chie. 

Just like him she seemed to be rushing as well, and judging by her hair she must have also slept in.

"Sorry, I didn't see you there, are you alrig- oh it's you. Looks like we're both going to be late today but maybe we can just sneak by teacher, she never seems to pay attention to her surroundings so it might be easier for us."

He managed to pick himself up as well as lending a had to Chie. In the process he managed to pick up his phone as well. Just by looking at it he could already tell that it was quite badly damaged. The screen had cracked and the top part of his phone was bent to the side slightly. Looks like he would be needing to go back to the store to get it fixed again.

\-------++++-------++++-------++++-------++++

"I'm really sorry about the phone and the crashing into you thing!"

Chie had been profusely apologising about how she had broke his phone. It wasn't such a big deal at that point, they were taking a break from investigating the T.v world and usually they just meet up at the food court anyway so there was no need for him to use his phone. He had told her just this but yet she still felt the need to apologise for what seemed like the hundredth time.

However, lucky enough by the time they had gotten to class Ms Kashiwagi still hadn't shown up so they weren't marked down again for being late. She was also notorious for being late as well as Yosuke.

His classes for that day was somewhat more boring than usual. Maybe it was due to the fact that he hadn't been running around fighting shadows like usual.

He had spent lunch break with his friends in the classroom talking to them since it was raining. Well, mostly Yosuke but he liked to listen to his friends more than himself and he was sure the others didn't have anything worth talking about. At least with not repeating themselves.

After his last class he said goodbye to his friends and went straight to the hospital. His shift there wasn't to bad. It wasn't completely quiet but still had quite a few people to clear up after. The nurses had been nice too.

On his way home he went to the phone shop to get his phone repaired. It had honesty costed him more than he expected. At this point it probably would have been cheaper to buy a whole new phone but he had gotten quite used to it and really he didn't want to have to learn how to use a new one.

After parting with his money he walked around the shopping district out of curiosity, it was not like he had anything better to do. He didn't like going home too early mainly because he felt uncomfortable around his uncle. He had been growing suspicion about them lately and he really didn't want him to find about how they were investigating the murders of Inaba. They had found out quite a lot of new information and he really didn't want him nosing onto their business. How would he explain were they had gotten their information. A secret channel appears on your T.v and you are are magically transported into a different dimension from ours? Even though today he and his little cousin were out of town for a while it still made he feel uncomfortable to enter the house with no body home. He was never the one for going home to silence.

It was about a good enough time to call it quits and go home when he noticed a small child. He was probably no older than ten. 

He seemed to be in some sort of distress, or at least to him. At first he thought he was probably just lost or had forgotten something, until he saw a hoodied man was following him quite closely. Before he could do anything the man had already grabbed the child from behind and started to drag him somewhere. Without a second thought Yu ran after him and the kid. 

Fighting shadows on a daily basis it was not to difficult to catch up and before long he had grabbed a hold of him. The mysterious man had put up quite a fight before he eventually let go of the child. 

Confused and also extremely scared the child had stood there next to him. He told the kid to run as far away as possible. The boy seemed hesitant at first, kept looking back at him before he eventually took off, although very reluctantly. There was nothing he could do anyway, he'd just get in the way, and besides he was the one offering to save him.

Just as he was turning back around he felt an agonising pain in his side. As he looked down he could feel the blood dipping from his wound running down his fingers as he gripped his hand tightly around his side. 

He had a knife. Now normally he would easily take that kind of enemy down, but he was in the real world. He could not use his persona and he didn't even have anything to use as a weapon. 

He tried to stagger away to buy himself some time to get help. However, no matter how far he stumbled he could not find a single person near by to help him. His last attempt was to call his friends. He reached his hand down into his pocket to retrieve his phone.

But there was nothing there.

He had just given it to the store not that long ago. He had no way of contacting anyone. How could be have forgotten that he had left it at the store? He couldn't call for help and there was no way he would be able I put run them. He had no other choice but to fight.

However, he wasn't given that option anymore. Not when a cold rag covered his mouth.

\-------++++-------++++-------++++-------++++

Yosuke seemed slightly confused. Even though his partner was known for being late occasionally this was ridiculous. It was nearly lunch and he still wasn't present. It wasn't like he had any way of checking what he was doing anyway. His phone was broken and his teacher would have had a piss fit if she caught him texting in class. 

When school was over he went over to the Dojima's residence. However, much to his surprise there was no answer at the door. He tried knocking several more times to no avail.

Just as he was about to leave he caught sight of on of Yu's neighbours as they were coming back from work.

"Hey, do you know were they went?" Yosuke asked them as they began to open their front door.

" If you are looking for them they went down to see a friend or something, I think. " they replied.

So he just went somewhere with them. He was kind of annoyed but he probably just forgot. As leader he has a lot of responsibilities to manage, it was understandable if he forgot a few things.

He hoped Yu fixed his phone soon, he doesn't like it when he can't talk to him.

\-------++++-------++++-------++++-------++++

Just under a week had passed and he still was nor there. He had told the others how he had gone to stay with someone for a short while with the Dojima's. Still though he hadn't expected it to be this long. Just because they had time off doesn't mean he can start slacking off.

Their teacher had asked him a few days ago where he was and he told them he was visiting someone with his uncle. They didn't seem to mind much that they hadn't been told he would be gone for a while since his uncle was a busy man, especially working with the local police force.

"Urrrh...he's still not back yet, you'd think he'd get his phone fixed by now. He's lucky there's no one who needs our help right now. "

They were sat around the food court since it was the weekend, but since their leader was not around they couldn't really think of much to do. Even digging around a little didn't feel right without him because he'd always be there to save them and generally picked up on things that they would have otherwised missed.

"I'm sure he'll be back on Monday, but for now let's go home." After all tonight is supposed to be really foggy out.

\-------++++-------++++-------++++-------++++

But he wasn't back on Monday. 

He still hadn't turned turned up a week later. Honestly they had started to feel concerned. Maybe something happened to the person they're visiting, or maybe bad traffic - that's quite common near the cities, especially in recent years.

When the group were going to their home rooms for attendance they were all told to immediately go to the gym after registry.

There were lots of students talking amongst themselves. The last time they had gathered here was because Saki Konishi had been murdered and was found hung on a telephone pole.

They could feel the thick tension it the air. Of course they would, in a situation like this it definitely seems as though one of their fellow classmates have been the next latest victim and with the teachers no where to be it can only increase their worries.

The had noticed girl from their class was profusely crying. Yukiko tried to comfort her only for her to pull her had away.

"It's her isn't it..? She didn't email me yesterday when she got home and she's not here today either. That's not like her.She's always on that phone of hers. She never would ignore me like this! "

She started to sob even more and eventually gave in to Yukiko's embrace.

Despite it being extremely foggy yesterday they knew that nobody had died. There was no one in the T.v and the chances for another copy cat killer was slim. But they couldn't tell her that.

She wasn't the only one who appeared distressed. Everyone was frantically looking for their friends, to make sure it wasn't them who had died.

The school president came out first along with the rest of the teachers who seemed to be discussing something urgently quietly among them. They didn't look alright. Something was clearly concerning them.

The students was eventually told to remain quiet when the head teacher came out and he stood behind the stage stand.

"As I am aware I know that you all are concerned about why you are here. I'm not sure how many of you already know but, one of our fellow students was found dead in the early hours of this morning. "

Everyone stayed quiet. Even the investigation team. It didn't make any sense. They saw no one in the midnight channel. There is no way someone could have died last night unless the had been stabbed or shot outside the T.v.

The girl's sniffles grew evermore noticeable. Maybe they realised, that she had really actually been murdered.

"She was my only close friend, I had moved during half term and she had been one of the first people who talked to me...what am I supposed to do now..?" She spoke quietly to her.

They didn't know what to do. How could they comfort someone who's best friend had just been killed? If it happened to her she didn't know what to do anymore. Neither would the rest of the investigation team.

The Head teacher began to speak again.

"Our student from cass 2-A -

The girl clutched Yukiko's arm tighter...

Yu Narukami...

. ..Was found hanging from a telephone pole."

What?

That's not possible. There's no way that's possible. They must have misheard. He's Yu Narukami, their leader. The one who was supposed to lead them to the killer. The one who was supposed to bring peace back to Inaba... 

...is dead?


	2. Chapter 2

"This is bullshit..! "

Kanji was more than just pissed. This school even has the decency to joke about something like this!?

But even for him there was the threat of tears in their eyes. It was true no matter how much they tried to deny it- he should have been back by now.

The police had came to give the students individual interviews asking if the y have seen or heard anything, even the teachers. Everyone seemed to be in a state of shock, possibly even more than when Saki's body was found.

It wasn't that people didn't like her or anything, it was because more people actually knew him. He was the type who went around helping people and e and went out of his way to make people happy. Not also to mention that at least half the of the girls at the school had some form of a crush on him. He was good looking, kind and most importantly had one of the most impressive grades.

They stayed in the hall for more than an hour until they were sent back home early. Even if they tried no one could focus on the day's classes.

After the announcement everything just seemed to be a blur. They all started to cry. They just couldn't believe it. But judging the fact there was a number of police there they knew it was very real. 

Nobody came up with anything they police could find useful, the only other fact that they found was that nobody has seen him for an entire week.

Just as they were about to leave a group of more senior police officers told them to step a side. They gestured them to follow and were soon lead into a small office.

"Only Yosuke is necessary for now. He's the only one allowed inside for now." One of the uniformed men said.

The group did what he said and waited outside for their friend.

"So.. this really is- this is really happening isn't it..?! Chie clearly visible in pain.

They didn't even need to say anything , they already knew what the others were thinking.

"Yeah..." Yukiko looked back at her with tears in her eyes. "this is really happening... "

\-------++++-------++++-------++++-------++++

Inside Yosuke was sat in fount of the large wooden desk with either officer one each side and another one stood in front of him.

"We know you are hiding something, and before you begin we already know that you have been lying to the school."

Ehh? Now if he was focussed before he was clearly now. What are they even talking about? How had he been lying to the school.

"What are you even talking about? "

This seemed to clearly annoy the man in front of him.

"Don't try to be smart with me, we know you have been lying when you told the school that your friend Narukami went to visit a family friend. We called his uncle and he says that he never went with them. How do you suppose you explain this? "

Yosuke's heart seem to stop beating, almost as if it sank to the bottom of his chest. What did they mean he didn't go with them? Where the hell had he been this whole time then!?

"So how did you come up with that lie? Had a falling out? Jealously? A drug deal perhaps gone wrong? Why don't you tell us the truth now, your an an accomplice or the murder of Inaba arent you? " the man looked directly at him.

"It was not a lie, the Dojima's neighbour told me that his uncle and neece had gone somewhere for the week" Yosuke" stood up quickly from his chair "how was I supposed to know that wasn't including his him!?

They stayed like that for several more minute with the older officer repeatedly throwing yet more conspiracies of him planning his death and even accusing him of being the serial killer who had been roaming the streets for months now.

The man was clearly frustrated at this point and he knew he wouldnt be able to get any more information and he couldn't take him in any longer especially due to his age.

Eventually they invited everyone else into the room. They had made them aware of the situation an they were too also shocked at the accusations, no wonder they still haven't caught the killer!

Kanji was the most enraged. They were treating him like a criminal, like hell he would hurt him!

They tried to defend him saying how that he had know way of knowing where he was. They told them how Chie had accidentally broke his phone and he went to repair it. It only made sense if the Dojima's weren't there that he would have assumed that he had also gone with the two for the week.

The group had eventually left one by one, mindlessly dragging each other out of the door making sure they kept a close eye on Yosuke.

Maybe it was a good idea if they went home for now. They would discuss this tomorrow morning, but for now they needed time to clear their minds.

\-------++++-------++++-------++++-------+++ 

A woman had been walking outside along the streets. It was in the early hours of the morning. She had been working really late and to top it off her train had been significantly delayed.

She wanted nothing more than to go home and see her children and go to sleep, and maybe since her kids were asleep, a bottle of wine.

Reaching the corner she made her way to the crossroad and crossed over and made her way onto a more quieter path. She alWays liked walking in this particular area. There was less cars and the buildings looked less run down than the other parts of Inuba.

As she was walking she heard something unsual. The sound of crows seemed louder than she remembered. They seemed to be cawing at each other and the mass of small faded shadows on the ground caused her to look up.

There was a group of crows surrounding the power lines scratching and clawing at each other to peck at something beneath them. She stared at them confused at what was causing them to act so unatrually.

And when she looked close enough she could just manage to see the hand hanging down between the birds. 

She screamed.

\-------++++-------++++-------++++-------++++

Yosuke hadn't slept nor had he moved. He stayed curled up by the wall on on his bed. Teddie tried everything to cheer him up, but Yosuke stayed stubborn and refused to move. What was he supposed to now with out his best friend?

The rest of the investigation team was also in gathered inside the room. Despite how Yosuke was feeling, how they were feeling, they needed to discuss the future of the investigation team. 

"This just doesn't make sense."

Nothing was making sense to them. How did he go missing for or so long and for no one to realise.Where on earth had he been this whole time? Besides, Yu wasn't the type to go and decide on doing anything alone.

"Are you completely sure Teddie that you didn't detect anyone in the T.v? " Rise had asked once again. 

Teddie looked at Yosuke before turning his gaze back at her.

"I am completely sure, I know it sounds strange, but I really didn't feel anything from the other side. Besides we can 't be sure that he- that he was there anyway. "

Kanji shook his head in agreement. " He's right you know, anything could have happened no one has seen or heard anything, we cant be sure of anything right now."

For now though the only thing they can do now is to ask around for infomation. Anything the police may have missed. They had to find out what happened to Yu.


	3. Chapter 3

School was just like what they were expecting it to be. Everyone seemed to be gossiping and whispering amongst themselves.

It was big news and everyone else had become aware of it too in Inaba. Dojima was his uncle after all.

_What are we supposed to do?_

_Did you hear how they found his body?_

_Now that he's dead anyone of us could be next, how can you die living with a member of the police. We're all doomed._

_I don't feel safe anymore._

_I hope they catch the killer soon._

They no matter where they went the rumours seemed to follow. Even they themselves had been subjected to constantly to numerous questions that most of them didnt evern know the answer to.

Yosuke didn't seem to be taking the situation well. But at least the had managed to get him to go to school, although just barely.

He just sat at his desk staring out of the window, trying so hard not to look at his desk.

A week had now passed and the group still hadnt found out anything new. They had been asking around for a while now but their classmates had said the same thing.

But it was hard for them to do anything. They were slowly falling apart. They had relied so much on their leader, he had done so much for them, more than they even realised. And now that he was gone they didn't know what to do anymore.

\-------++++-------++++-------++++-------++++

"Errm, I you guys doing any better? ...you know with the ..whole thing and all."

It was the girl the other week from the announcement, the one who had been there with them went the news was broke to them about their friend.

"...You know it may sound selfish , but you know when I first heard his name I was relieved ."

"I felt so disgusted with myself after I felt that. I never thought I would ever feel like that after hearing someone had just been murdered."

Chie was sat by her desk ready to leave to get outside to eat her lunch with the others.Well, Yukiko. The rest of the group had began do,do their own thing during lunch break nowadays. Mostly because they couldn't bare to see the empty spot on the school roof in which their leader once stood. When the girl walked over to her desk.

"It's okay, it's a pretty normal reaction. Like you said, she was one of your closest friends. You didn't even know him very well, of course you'd choose your friend 's saftey first. I'm sure I would do the same."

The corners of the girl's mouth seemed to curl slightly.

"I'm so glad that you don't hate me. I was sure you'd see me as a horrible bitch, after all I do deserve to be called one."

The girl leaded closer to her on her desk. "You know if you want I could be your friend. To make things easeir. I'm sure you need a distraction right now."

They had exchanged numbers. So they could hang out at a later date and Chie made her way to the rooftop to meet Yukiko.

Maybe that girl was right , maybe she does need a distraction right now.

\-------++++-------++++-------++++-------++++

Yosuke hated how everyone was treating him. He hated feeling weak, pited, judged even. Of course he took this harder than any everyone else. He was his partner, they had made so many promises together. They had founded the investigation team together.

He promised they were supposed to catch he killer together.

Yosuke slowly made his way into the bathroom. He pushed open one of.the stall doors and sat on the toilet seat. He looked at his hands. He remembered that these hands were the same ones that Yu grabbed on to help pull him up during one of the first times they met when he had fallen off his bike after losing control and landed into a trash bin.

Yo Now that he thought about it how they met want exactly normal. It almost made him laugh when he thought about it. Man that had been embarrassing.

As he sat in the stall he heard a couple of guys walk in to the bathroom.They were talking about class and how hard the teachers had been pushing them more recently, especially since since a test was coming up.

"Have any of you seen how Yosuke has been realsently, he looks dead now,almost like a walking calpse.

Yosuke's ears pricked up at the sound of his name being used.

"Well what do you expect, first his hopeless crush dies and now Yu. "

"Hey guy's what if he was like the killer, I mean two people he knows have died. Honestly I wouldnt be surprised if another one of his friends turn up dead"

" Hahaha, I know right, that guy is really creepy. I'm surprised he's still here."

He clutched his fingers tighter around his hands.

\-------++++-------++++-------++++-------++++

"Yosuke, you cant keep avoiding us. We're a team you know! "

Yosuke had become distant to the others, not even willing to even talk to them much anymore. What was the point ?

He tried to walk around them as Rise blocked the stairs he was trying to get up to go to his home room. But she stayed stubborn to move when he tried to brush passed her.

"People still need our help,Yosuke. The killer's still out there. Who knows who could die next! "

Yosuke stilled even more at the thought of yet another person in Inuba being killed. Just like the others. Hung upon the wires. Bloody and torn.

"What is the point in anything anymore?"

"When he's gone, When everything's gone?!"

He pushed harder passed Rise, succeeding in continuing on his path to his home room, walking along the corridors full of chatting students.

Maybe it was better this way.

For the fog to cover the whole world entirely, ending all of reality.

Isn't it better to live a peaceful lie than a painful truth?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next chapter will be posted soon.


	4. Chapter 4

By now the investigation team was almost non-existent at this point. No one came to their meetings anymore.and no one really talked to each other anymore.

But it wasn't like they had given up. Some of them still looked into things now and then but not in the way that they once did. Everything was so unorganized and it was hard to keep track of their investigation. How could they? Their was no one to give direct orders to do anything and they just kept arguing since they couldnt agree with anything as a group and they all took their own routine in solving the case. But if Naoto had to say it did feel like no one cared as much as they once did. However, she had promised her self that they will solve it. It was the only way to prove to the sexist police force that she had it in her to be a detective.

She was currently looking through the shopping district, if she remembered this place was usually one of the last places to stop becoming busy.

Chie and Yukiko took it to the school to hear if any gossip could prove of help while Kanji, Rise and Teddie make use of of checking recent news reports and re-looking at old cases to see if they could spot any new patterns of the killer.

As Naoto was about to call it good for the day she felt a small tap on at her back . When she turned around she could see a small boy with light brown hair looking at her and see could make out the redness under his eyes.

"Can I help you?" she asked the small child, worried about why he was trying to talk to her. Had someone been abusing him?

The boy hesitantly stood front of her for several moments before gesturing her to foloow. He took her to a small siding before he tried to speak, tears being to well in his eyes.

"I'm...I...I'm so sorry! I didnt mean for this to happen!!! " more tears began to spill from his eyes. 

Now Naoto was Confused.What was this strange kid on about? And why was he crying ?

"...I was out a while ago. I kNow I shouldnt have been there but I was. It was really late and then I noticed a strange man was following me. I couldn't see his face and i started to panic and the next thing I knew he was trying to attack me." the kid started to shake more as he began to recall the memory.

Naoto felt sick. She knew people got attacked all the time but stalking a child was another thing completely.

"I...I really thought I was going to die.I really thought that I was going to but then...but then I was pulled away by someone."

At that moment her heart began to stop. He wasn't talking abo-

"He told me to run. So I did. I didn't know what else to do.

"I didnt say anything to anyone, I was afraid I would get into so much troble. I was out way passed curfew and if my dad found out he would have killed me. I thought he'd be fine, but

I didnt think anything too bad would happen. Nobody said or mentioned anything the next day so I thought it was fine.

He was sobbing uncontrollably now.

But then I saw his name on the T.v a week later. Hung on one of the wires just like the others.

How was I supposed to know that he was your friend??"

Naoto's body seemed to freeze up.

Was this person really the killer of Inuba? The one who murdered her friend?

He was full on crying now. She held him close and tried to comfort him the best she could. She had to tell the others.

They may just be onto something.

\-------++++-------++++-------++++-------++++

The investigation team sat there in shock. After they had received a frantic message from Naoto they had quickly gathered to the shopping district to hear what was so important that she had found.

She explained to them the best she could about the situation and about the strange kid that came up to her. However, the boy had long gone and she didn't manage to catch his name to her dismay. After telling her about what happened those many fateful weeks ago he had took off when she took her eye off him to reach for her phone. But she did pursue him as she had a feeling that it already took a lot for him to tell her and she did not want to scare him away in the hopes that she meets him again.

"So are you saying that this guy could not only be the bastard that hurt Yu but also is the same damn killer from the other cases?!" Kanji said angrily and suddenly almost surprising the others out of their shock.

Yosuke was the only one who hadn't shown up. Teddie tried to get him to come with them saying it was really urgent but he just shook him off saying that he ' doesn't care anymore.' Even Rise couldn't get him to come with her, so they just let him be.

It was unusual to see Rise's hair to be messy, a clear indication that she had rushed to get here quickly resulting in lop-sided bunns. The last time her hair had been slightly messy was at Yu's funeral.

It was a hard time for them especially for his family. His parents had made their way from the city to see their son, it was also the first time that they saw them. You could clearly tell where Yu got his unique appearance from. His mother had the same colour hair as him. Despite leaving her son with his uncle for a year you could tell that she cared for him, the way she held herself over his casket. Sobbing endlessly.

That was really when the fact that he had truly gone had settled in. No mistake, no fake report, his body was right in front of them. He had really died and they would never see him again.

Nanako stood helplessly by her uncle's side. They had never seen her cry before. She had always been so cheerful and always greeted her big brother with the biggest smile she could muster. Everything just felt so surreal now.

The funeral service was fairly short, no one wanting to be any longer than they could. The atmosphere was just too much for them.

The team had said their goodbyes as the coffin was lowered into the ground. Tears running down everyone's face, even Kanji no matter how much he tried to deny it.

After the service they all stayed to talk a little while longer before they all went their own separate way, the sun setting slowly in the distance. 

They had to go on by themselves from there on.

"It 's highly likely, but then again why havent we seen this kid in the T.v?" Naoto replied.

"Well, what if something went wrong with the midnight channel, is that even possible Teddie for that to happen?" Chie asked Teddie who was sat opposite her.

"...I really don't know, but then again anything could happen there. That place isn't always that predictable you know." 

Yukiko looked at Teddie before glancing back at the group. "Well the only way we could know is if we went back there."

They hadn't gone back after the last time with Yu after they had defeated a large shadow who was incredibly strong and they had all went off to celebrate their victory.

"You know it will be harder for us to go back there, we don't even have a- some one in charge let alone get Yosuke to come with us." Rise replied back , but she knew that they would have to eventualy go back there one way or another.

"Maybe that is so but we have to at least try, we can just let someone die because we have had a large step back, we have to."

They just had to go on without Yosuke or not.

\-------++++-------++++-------++++-------++++

Getting into June's late at night was hard without the help of Yosuke. They had made their way over to the section where they kept the large T.v. They made sure that they were well prepared and rested before they went inside for the first in a long time.

Inside it seemed no different from normal, a few things had shuffled around but other than that everything was the same. 

They didn't know where to start looking but they didn't want to split up for they were safer in number. Before long they had encountered a few shadows. They had easily defeated them with the help of their personas.

Despite not having been fighting for almost an entire month their fighting ability hadn't rusted much. After having explored and searched for a good few hours they decided to rest up for a little while and to think of anything else that could help them.

"Who knew that this place was so big how are we ever going to find anything useful". Kanji moaned in annoyance.

Nato shook her head in agreement. "Maybe we just havent been looking hard enough, we are still missing lots of information on the killer. "

In the distance a new wave of shadows came this time even stronger. They had all gotten up to fight them again and after a few minutes they had yet another successful victory.

It wasn't until the had continued through the shadow world through the way that the other shadows had gone did the notice that in the distance their was something small and dark laying on the ground. Chie had went over to bend down and pick the object of the ground and held it between her fingers.

It was a pair of glasses.

\-------++++-------++++-------++++-------++++

After sitting at his desk for a long time trying to re-read the same paragraph from his text book for the sixth time he decided to give up and to set the book down.

He was incredibly bored out of his mind, he'd never thought he'd see the day were he would resort to studying to take his mind off of something, usually he used to hang out with his friends when he was feeling low. Now going to them just made him feel worse.

He went down stairs to get himself some water and something to eat from the fridge but to his annoyance there was nothing worth while to eat, nothing that would keep down anyway.

Rather than stay in the kitchen any longer he shut the fridge door and decided to go for a walk instead. He walked through the streets with no particular place in mind. It wasn't particularly sunny that day but it wasn't like it was raining much. Either way he didn't feel like going back to get his jacket so he just shoved his hands into his pockets instead.

Walking down a narrow path he had realised that his feet had lead him to the Dojima's residence. It was out of habit him going there. It had always been a place he'd go when he needed help, someone to talk to. But it wasn't like he could do that anymore so there was no point in standing in front of the house. It would just make him feel depressed.

As he turned away he heard a familiar voice. Oh great it just had to be Nanako didn't it?

" it's been a while since you last visited. please come inside it's starting to rain and your going to get wet, Yo-san. "

He was going to decline her but what would he say? She had a point it would be raining more soon and getting sick served him no purpose, he already had a bad attendance. He would be surprised if the school even let him continue next year.

Inside was no different from what he remembered. It was just as tidy and welcoming as it had always been. Nanako made her way through the hallway gesturing Yosuke to follow her to the living room. 

As Yosuke walked into the room he noticed that by the T.v there were various picture frames scattered around. To his own curiosity he decided to go closer to the T.v to look at them. Nanako had walked into the kitchen not that long ago and figured that no one would mind if he took a look at them since they were clearly out in the open and they were basically made to be looked at. Most of the picture frames held images of Nanako and her father and a unfamiliar woman who he presumed was her mother. Most of the frames were bright pink or yellow covered in glitter and other cheap arts and crafts materials. In one however stood out the most though. He could tell it was fairly recently taken from the state it was in. It was Yu Narukami. He was stood in front of the train station with Nanako and his Uncle. 

It was taken on the first time Yu had came to Inaba. He didn't really know anyone and never really liked to be close to anyone in fear he would be moved again, but despite that he and Yosuke managed to become friends and so with the rest of the group. He remembered the first time when Yu had finally felt comfortable around them, even enough to give the smallest of smiles. He had helped them out so much over the months. He couldn't believe how they ha d known each other for less than a year but it felt so much longer. He almost felt silly how he used to be jealous of him and had doubted him of being capable of being leader, he was more than capable of leading them. He had gotten them so far.

He realised that he shouldn't have gone here and that going inside was a bad idea. It was a really bad idea to look at the photos. He couldn't be seen crying in front of Nanako, he'd be so embarrassed and ashamed. Hearing the sound of her foot steps he quickly tried to dry the tears from his eyes with the sleeve of his shirt.

" Dad's not back yet but he will be later, do you want something to eat? "

He was amazed at how strong she was at handling this whole situation. It wasn't like she didn't understand what death is, she knew clearly, but at her age you would think that she would completely shut down. But here she was. Still trying her hardest at everything and still carrying on with her life. She didn't push anyone away, not like Yosuke. He felt weak in front of her. Why was it that she could carry on but he still couldn't. Had he even thought about how his friends and family were feeling? He was clearly ignorant and the selfish one.

"No thanks I'm good. I'm just going to wait out the rain for a bit. Do you mind if I turn on the T.v though?"

Nanako smiled at him. It has been a while since he's talked to someone like this.

They both sat in front of the T.v as he flicked through the limited amount of programme stations available before deciding on choosing some newish cartoon she seemed to be into recently.

"So then this guy uses his magical powers to-

He had sat there on the floor in front of the T.v listening to her explain the whole show and how the main character had gotten where he was. If he was younger he was sure that Nanako would have been good friends. 

The main character was in trouble as the evil villain had betrayed him and attacked him. He was badly injured and so his friends go to his rescue to save him and defeat the evil bad guy together to save the world from his evil clutches.

Now that he thought about it this cartoon was a lot like them. Yu had been in trouble and needed help to defeat the killer and save Inaba from anymore murders taking place and for the fog to engulf all of humanity for good. Although it was to late to save their friend they could still save everyone else. 

" You know when I was much younger I dreamed of being a hero too. But now I realised how unrealistic that was, but there's still a part of me that still wants to be the hero that saves the whole day, like in the stories. "

Nanako started to laugh. "Yeah it's probably unlikely we would gain any special powers, but like my dad used to say 'there are other ways to be a hero too you know, like doctors or nurses'."

" But who knows, maybe we will eventually gain special powers, like flying or something cooler. Maybe we could become even better than the heroes in the stories."


	5. Chapter 5

Something had changed inside Yosuke after he talked to Nanako. She was right on so many levels: even the greatest heroes have lost something important to them. But unlike him they still carried on with their lives. What was the point of giving up now? 

They became heroes because they wanted to save people but even they know that they can't save everybody. There's just too many bad guys out there to stop them all, but that doesn't mean they can't get rid of a few.

And besides was he really going to let the killer go after murdering his best friend?

He was now currently walking around outside on the path back to his house. Maybe he should see how Teddie is doing, and maybe he can also possibly kind of apologise to him for being a bad friend and had pushed him away for so long. Teddie and the others had already lost one friend, they don't deserve to lose another. That's if they still concerned him to be their friend.

When he finally got home he put his shoes away by the door and went straight to his room after greeting his mother. It was really strange to be honest how his room was actually organised. It wasn't that he was a messy person, (that's a lie) but Teddie always trashed his room while trying to borrow/steal his clothes out of his wardrobe as well as throw some of his clothes away saying that he has bad taste only to fill up his closet full with questionable items. 

He still remembered the first time that Teddie started staying over with him. It was shortly after Yu and him found him in the shadow world and they had managed to convince him to follow them to the other side. He obviously didn't have anywhere else to stay since this side was not his world and it wasn't like he knew anyone so he offered him to stay a little while. That little while became a long time, and even though he would say that he regrets letting him in his room such as when he keeps annoying him and frequently tries to crawl into his bed in the middle of the night: it was kind of nice having company around.

When he opened his bedroom door he noticed that he was not there. He had probably gone to hang out with the others since June's was not open to day- and that's fine. It's not like he misses that big dumbass anyway. He can use this time to get some peace and quiet, maybe even sleep well without being disturbed.

Although after laying down he couldn't rest even if he wanted to. He guessed that maybe his mind wasn't used to being able to relax and not worry either.

He decided that maybe he should text his friends, it has been a while since he last did that, just how long has it been since he last talked to them properly anyway: it has at least been well over a month now.

He started at the screen for awhile before finally hitting summit and laid back down on his bed for a reply.

Would they think it will be weird that he sent them a text? Probably, but he didn't care. It is better than being alone.

\-------++++-------++++-------++++-------++++

He must have started to drift off when he heard the sound of his phone dropping to his bedroom floor. What time was it anyway?

He must have been asleep for around thirty minutes considering the time his alarm clock was displaying. He picked up his phone off the floor and checked him messages.

There was nothing new since the last message was from a week ago- and that was fine too.

Maybe they didn't want to talk to him anymore? Nah, he doubted it. They don't seem to be the type of people to do that. Well considering Teddie was not there it was highly likely they went somewhere.

He told himself not to go and find them but he did anyway. His confused mother told him to be careful once again as he left the house once more through the front door.

He didn't even know where to start looking anyway. To one of their houses? Probably not, it would just make him seem desperate.

In the end he decided to go over to the shopping district since that was one of the places other than the school roof where they would go and meet up. After standing by their old seats for several minutes he started to wonder how they were getting on with the case.

Do they still try anymore? They stopped talking about it around him in fear he would get upset again so after the first few times of rejecting their offers to fight shadows they gave up so he doesn't know anymore.

What if they were still looking though? What if after he rejected them they decided to go on without him into the T.v world. What if that's where they are now? There is no phone signal there.

He didn't know what he would be achieving by going over to June's anyway. It wasn't like he could go into the T.v by himself. The only people other than the killer was Yu and Teddie.

But despite that he still walked over to the T.v section and was relieved that his parents still haven't sold the really big T.v yet. He started at it for a while before deciding it wouldn't hurt to try again, it wasn't like he had much to lose.

He placed his hands against the T.v screen after making sure no one else was in the store. As he predicted nothing happened but as he started to walk away he saw something strange in the T.v. Surely it was nothing right? But it wouldn't hurt to try again.

As he placed his hands against the screen nothing seemed to happen. At least not at first.

Then the next thing he knew his left-hand started to sink in and then the rest of his body soon followed.

It was extremely foggy like usual, but he did not mind. After all even after all this time he still couldn't take the glasses out of his pocket, he didn't feel right without them with him.

As he put them on he could eventually see clearly again. It felt so strange being here again. It wasn't like it had re-changed much since the last time, but maybe it was because he hasn't been here in such a long time or maybe it was down to the fact that he had came alone for the first time.

And then a realisation hit him, 

How as he supposed to get out of here without Teddie?

\-------++++-------++++-------++++-------++++

Chie didnt even realise that she had been holding her breath when a gasp slipped from her throat. Despite the fact that the glasses were damaged and had appeared to have been stepped on slightly, she recognised who's they were-

They were Yu's.

"Wait? Aren't those Narukami's!? " Yukiko asked completely shocked. She wasn't the only one who was shocked at what Chie was holding, the others were quite surprised as well. 

Chie looked straight at Yukiko before her expression sank even deeper. "That must mean that something must have happened to Yu around here. "

Kaji started to frown before looking at the ground below him." I still don't understand why he would have been here. The fact that we didn't see him at all in the midnight channel can only suggest that he went here willingly. Although there is that" 

"...but why?" Rise asked as she looked over at Kanji. It just didn't make sense, they had always gone inside together. What would make him go in alone so suddenly?

"What if-" Naoto began, "what if he was blackmailed? What if he had no other choice but to obey someone. It wasn't like he could say anything, they could have threatened him in a way that he absolutely could not refuse."

" Then why not tell us then? "

"Rise, if he was being blackmailed I don't think he'd be able to tell anyone. Not to mention his phone had been broken previously so he couldn't have been able to use it anyway."

Chie seemed to agree before she was hit with a wave of guilt. "Oh...oh my God. It's my fau- because of me his phone was broken. I'm the reason why he's dead!?

She could not stop crying until Naoto hit her back to her senses. Chie stood there shocked at the fact that she had to have Naoto to slap her in order for her to finally calm down. It wasn't her fault that she felt like this, but she still felt so responcibe. If he still had a working phone would he have survived?

"Chie, it's not your fault. It's not like you did it on purpose. These things just happen~ bear." 

Teddie attempted to walk up to her to comfort her before they heard a strange sound. 

It was shadows.

\-------++++-------++++-------++++-------++++

There was something different about these shadows. They just seemed to act slightly different from what they were used to. Maybe it was the fact that the team had gotten further than they would normally go since they didnt really have a need or time back then. But these shadows seemed stronger than tusual.

However, the team didn't let that stop them from fighting the shadows. Rise played the role of support while the others were on offence and defence. While non of them particularly played the role of leader in battle Naoto took the main directions for the investigation.

Kanji summoned his persona first landing a fair deal of damage on the four shadows. Teddie was next to attack and he used his claw weapons on one of the front shadows on the right. The others too started to attack them dealing damage to their enemies with a few misses.

They had managed to take down one of the shadows however, the attacks from the other enemies proved to be too strong and they took lots of damage, way too much damage for them to handle. Yukiko tried her best to heal her friends but at the rate of them getting injured she could not keep up. They had also used up most of their SP and it was becoming more and more harder for them to summon their personas to fight.

They had to retreat. 

As they tried to flee they had found themselves surrounded. There was no way out for them to excape. And yet the enemies still kept landing blows which they could no longer block.

Were they going to die here?


	6. Chapter 6

Yosuke had found himself wandering endlessly through the T.v.This was just great now he was stuck here. Just his luck.

And who's to say that they are even here anyway? He knew he never got very good grades but he didn't think that he was this stupid. He should have remembered that he can't get out by himself.

But he found it really strange though, why was it this time he could go through the T.v? He hadn't managed to before so why now?

He also started to realise why he was feeling so strange- There wasn't any shadows, at least not nearby. He hadn't come across any and he's sure he had been walking for quite some time now.  
Maybe his friends were nearby, probably?

After realising that he had walked further than he had normally gone he started to panic. How was he supposed to defeat shadows down here when he can hardly manage to defeat a few on his own? Once he got knocked clean out by a Seiryu because he had wandered a little too far away from the group and it had attacked him. He just had to be weak to electricity, he was always tried about how he had to leave it to the others to fight electricity welding shadows. Although that wasn't to say that the others didn't have weaknesses either. Well, apart from Yu. It was always strange to him how one guy could have so many personas and yet no one has seen his shadow. Was that guy a God? 

Although then again, Gods don't die.

He was not sure when he heard the strange sounds but before he knew it he had already started to run in a half confusion and fear.

There it was again. Where on Earth was it coming from?

It sounds like it was almost directly below him, he defiantly heard something moving down there. He really didn't want to check it out though, from the sounds of it, it sounded pretty loud- and he didn't want his ass to get kicked. But what if his friends where there and they were in danger.

He had to save them right?

\-------++++-------++++-------++++-------++++

Making his way to the next level was easier said than done. He struggled to find his way around the floor he was currently on and making it to a set of stairs was even harder. He eventually did come across a stair case after endlessly walking around.

The sound too hard grown larger in size. It was getting increasingly loud and he could start to make out things that he hadn't noticed before. It almost sounded as if it was more than one person, a group of humans at least. It sounded too distinct to be from a shadow however it did seem as though there was at least one present judging by the sounds of pain from someone nearby.

He was sure he was close now and when he finally reached the next floor he started to quicken his pace. It was probably a good idea to have a plan but what was he going to plan out anyway? Find shadow, sneak behind shadow, attack and if needs be run. He was never the one to plan anyway, that's one of the reasons he refused to accept to become the new leader. Besides that role could never be replaced. They were doing fine anyway without a leader so why would they need one now. If anyone should be leader it should be Naoto, she's smart, talented and most of all she is incredibly organised.

The complete total opposite of him. Besides managing his school work and June's was already a handful for him, he didn't need an extra pressure on his own back.

As he was quickly walking along the floor much further up he could start to make out numerous figures in the fog. Some of them seemed familiar to him. He tried to run up to them as he was now clearly certain that it was the Investigation team: his friends.

However by the time he was only a few feet away from them he noticed that they were covered in a considerable amount of blood especially Yukiko. Kanji at this point was laying hunched over and if it wasn't for the steady slow rises of his chest he would have otherwise thought that he was dead.

They must have not seen Yosuke or heard him as when he looked right passed the others he saw three unusually large shadows he let out a small yelp. He should have expected that the shadows on this level would be way stronger since he was quite far down and the further you go, the stronger the enemies are. As he let out the small yelp of surprise that slipped from his mouth the others quickly turned in surprise only to find Yosuke standing there. And by the looks of their faces as the turned he thought that they thought he was another shadow. 

Just how bad were they beaten up? The amount of blood that covered their faces and clothes was one thing but also nothing ever really seemed to strike this much terror in them. Especially Naoto, she hardly ever let anything faze her despite the tough situations they had been through before.

Yosuke went over them to make sure they were alright after overcoming his fear that had almost frozen him in place of where his feet were standing. After briefly looking over them he figured that they would be fine enough to move them in order for them to flee and get to the other side, although he suspected he would have to take a closer look afterwards they have at least escaped this floor.

He told them to run however they seemed incredibly hesitant and were still shocked to see him there standing in front of them. He didn't blame them though, the last time they had saw him near them properly was weeks ago and not to mention he no longer seemed to have his sad look to him anymore, it was a huge improvement from last time. He even talked to them for god sake!

"Wha- why are you hear!? I thought tha- I thought that you were no longer going to come back here Yosuke. Unless I really have been hit to hard~ bear!" Teddie said either too shocked to speak properly or just the fact that he was incredibly warn out, probably a mixture of both to be honest.

What was he supposed to say? He hadn't planned on what he would say to them once he had found them, he just assumed he would think of it when he found them.

"YOSUKE!! YOU NEED TO GET OUT OF HERE! THE SHADOWS ARE WAY TOO STRONG FOR US TO HANDLE, HURRY!!"

It was a little strange to see Chie this concerned about him but he couldn't just leave them on their own, after all he had went all this way looking for them and it would just be a waste of his effort.

"What are you on about!? Why the hell would I leave you guys, I even put a lot of effort into finding you guys, it was easy you know!"

No way was he going to leave them he had to do something. However he knew that with the way that they were in they wouldn't be able to outrun the shadows even if they tried. He had to fight them on his own.

They had fought tougher enemies before, but that was with their leader. He was the strongest one of them by far, he even had multiple personas. How could they compare to that? He never really realised how much they really relied on his strength. He was always their to back them up and kept everyone in line to maximise their potentials as well as to avoid accidental injuries to each other, which even then that happened quite often no thanks to Teddie. He was as clumsy as a new born dear.

He ran up to the first large shadow and threw one of his throwing knives at it. Non of these shadows seemed familiar to him but he was sure Yu would have known what type they were. That guy was a walking encyclopedia when it came to identifying shadows.

The first knife hit the shadow and seemed take a fair bit of damage from the enemy as it staggered backwards. As another shadow charged behind him he threw his other knife and hit it straight in the eye and it screeched out in agony. While it was distracted by the pain he took it as an opportunity to summon Jiraiya and use Garula on it through his persona causing even more damage to it.

However, just as he was about to summon Jiraiya again a third shadow attacked him from behind- shit, he forgot about that one.

As he tried to pull himself up of the floor he was struck again causing him to fall back down. He grabbed one of his throwing knives off the floor and threw it directly behind to get the shadow off his back and succeeded. 

Pulling himself fully off the floor this time he chucked his other knife at one of the other shadows. However, this time he missed by just a few centimetres too close to the right. As he tried to retrieve his other knife he was struck down by a wave of electricity.

Shit!! Just his fucking luck, it just had to be electricity. His one biggest weakness. Didn't matter how much he trained his persona he still sucked at coping with electric welding shadows. 

As he tried to pull himself off the floor once again he was struck down by more waves of electricity. They where fucking kidding him, they were all electricity based shadows? How the hell was he supposed to know that luck would play unfairly towards him.

He struggled to get up this time, he had taken too much damage as it was already and the shadows never lessened on him. If anything it felt as if their attacks were getting worse and worse. As he got back up to his knees he was kicked back down slamming his body back into the hard floor. He was coughing up a lot of blood now and it started to dribble down his chin onto the ground below him.

"Yosuke!? Get up! You don't have to fight them."

Of course he did they were his friends he couldn't leave without a fight. He didn't care what his friends were saying he still continued to fight.

He summoned Jiraiya once more and casted Magaru on them to buy himself time to throw his knives at them to defeat them. He was sure one of them was now severely hurt and he thought that now was a good chance for him to take them down for good.

However, just before he was about to cast Garudyne the bastard managed to heal not only himself but the others too. Fuck!, That's cheating! They shouldn't be allowed to do that, but then again this is no game, this is real life and shadows can do whatever they desire. Yosuke was so fustrated that he failed to dodge one of their attacks on him and collapsed.

Their was no way he was going to survive this. How could he when they were strong as hell and yet be able to regenerate themselves back to full health on each other!? 

A shadow send yet more energy waves and soon another one followed. He was in extreme agony now, the pain was just too bad for him to handle. He could feel himself getting dangerously weak now. It wasn't like he could heal himself anymore anyway. He was to worn out and besides he was almost out of SP, he had used most of it up trying to hopelessly fight the shadows.

As his vision began to blur he really thought it was really the end for him. Guess they will never know who the killer really was now, now that they were dying. 

"I'm sorry...I never meant to push you guys away, please forgive me for being selfish... "

If he was going to die he would rather do it without a heart full of regret. He didn't want his friends to hate him. 

No, he never wanted to let anyone down but what was there for him to do where in a world there is only but do or die?

If only he was strong enough. If only he was strong as his partner, he couldn't bare to fail his friends. If only he had the power to defeat them.

\-------++++-------++++-------++++-------++++

When he woke up he thought that he had defiantly died. He was laying on something soft, almost as if he was laying on a cloud. It was so quiet and peaceful and it almost felt if he was swaying slightly. Maybe death isn't such a bad thing after all...

"I see you have made yourself quite comfortable there. "

Yosuke's eyes shot wide open and sat up straight up at the sound of the voice. He was sure that he had never heard that voice before. It probably wasnt such a good idea as it instantly shot a wave of dizziness over him and he had to lean his head slightly against his forearm. It also hurt him to open his eyes fully as he wasn't used to the brightness.

When his eyes adjusted to the light he started to look around a limo? It was decorated completely in a rich deep blue colour scheme with blue curtains and velvet seats and on the other side sat a beautiful mature woman with blonde hair with strong yellow eyes looking straight at him.

....Okay..? Yeah, he was still hundred percent sure that he was dead now.

He just sat there looking at the strange woman and in return she also stared at him without saying a word. It soon began to make him feel weird. What exactly was he supposed to do even? She's an angel right, shouldn't she be guiding him or something..?

"I'm dead right? I thought there was supposed to be large gate and clouds everywhere. "

She just stared at him for a little while longer before a small smirk crept at the side of her mouth.

"No not quite, at least not yet. Don't worry, we get that a lot. "

Wait he was confused, if this wasn't Heaven and he wasn't dead the where the hell was he then? Unless this is Hell!? He was sure he didn't live that bad of a life, I mean sure he's a little selfish and greedy sometimes but did he really deserve to be damned to an eternal afterlife of suffering?

"I'm sure you have a lot of questions right now but first let me give you a small introduction. This is the velvet room and I am a resident here, my name is Margaret and I will be your host."

Huh.. What for exactly? Is this another one of those dreams again?

"What do you mean your going to be my host?" Yosuke asked confused.

"Well the easiest way for me to explain is to ask you this, do you know why your friend has multiple personas? "

Of course he didn't know why his partner had multiple personas. He himself had always wondered and no matter how many times he had asked him why he could never fully understand what he was trying to say and besides it wasn't like he was the one to talk much either. If he ever wanted to talk to him he had to be the one to initiate a conversation, so whatever happens to Yu usually is a total mystery.

"...Am I supposed to know? I was never really told about it so I actually don't know much about it. Is that a problem?"

"No not really but it means it will be harder for me to explain the situation to you.

I guess I will start with explaining the wild card. To sum it up it gives the holder the power to possess more than one persona. This is the reason why your friend was able to summon a variety of personas as he was the previous holder of the card.

Now, normally due to the unpredictability of the wild card we only lend the card to those who hold the Fool arcana as they are able to control them easier and are more suited in welding of such such things. However, due to certain circumstances we have decided to give the wild card to you, although it is not the first time we have lent the card to one who does not possess the fool arcana it is the first time in which we are going to lend it for such a long period of time. "

Arcana? What does she mean by that and these card things? He's never even heard of these things before.

"What do you mean arcanas and card things? And who do you mean 'we'? " Yosuke asked intently.

Margaret lent further forward in her seat before being to explain further to him.

"Arcana, well you see each persona user has a link to an arcana, these usually are defined by your persona and determine what kind of abilities you can control, and how you control them. Here us residents will assist those who are guests in the velvet room and will assess your progress. -You possess the Magician arcana if your wondering. " 

Yosuke looked at her closely before asking curiosity "wait, so if I have this other arcana thing then why am I supposed to hold this special card? Shouldn't someone else have it?"

Margaret placed the bottom of her palm up against her forehead before signing deeply.

" You see something has happened unaccording to plan, it seems something has been interfering with fate. I suspect it is the work of someone higher up. You see my master had foreseen that the previous holder was tied by destiny to prevent the world from falling to destruction and chaos. 

However, this did not happen. Master has never been wrong about these things before. Someone must have tampered with fate and this could have only been done with someone of great power.

And this is where you come in. You had one of the closest relationships with Yu and had been with him from the very start of his journey. You have the most experience out of all your friends, we feel that you and your friends have the greatest chance of solving this mystery. Although unfortunately non of you possess the Fool arcana and so we have decided that you are our next best candidate to receive the wild card.

And so we have given you the card and the power that it holds- 

Do you wish to accept it? "

Hold on! He gets to have the wild card, as in he gets to have multiple personas!? He can't handle that, he can't even control his own persona that well, and to top it off he didn't even have the right arcana so it will be harder for him to control it! There's no way he can accept it. Although it seems pretty interesting to him about the idea of having a new persona, it gets kinda boring when you have one weak persona who does pretty much the same thing while his parter constantly pulls out a new flashing persona stronger that before, some of which he had never even seen before.

" There is no need to worry, we from the velvet room will be supporting you along the way. And remember, we would not have selected you if we thought that you couldn't cope. Having the Fool arcana is ideal but no way does this mean it will be harder for you to hold the wild card, it only means that you will have to adapt more instead. And for this we will help you do so. "

Guess he had no reason to refuse then.


	7. Chapter 7

His head was hurting so bad, it was thumping so much he thought he might just pass out again. His mind was also very foggy and he had been slightly confused where he was.

As he tried to push himself of the floor he started to remember what was going on. He had entered the T.v world to look for his friends and had been knocked out from the attacks of shadows.

What a strange dream that was. It was very unusual, although it seemed to have a sense of truth to it. It felt quite real. Maybe it was a hallucination of some sort after being hit in the head to hard. But whatever it had been it surely had been interesting.

As he tried to stand once more he drew the gasp of his friends just before he was struck down by another wave of lighting and he tried to stand his ground. He didn't know how long he had been out of it but he was sure that it had been a fair bit of time due to the way his friends reacted, maybe they thought that he would no longer get up again and that his time was finished. After all he had taken quite a beating, in fact he was quite surprised he had actually lasted this long really.

After the next wave of lighting struck through his body he started to get a strange feeling that began to flow through his body. He couldn't quite describe it though, it was an unusual feeling. One that he was not familiar to.

One of the shadows most have seemed to notice one of his friends trying to get up from the ground as it went over to attack them once more.

Yosuke quickly pulled himself up onto his feet despite the angry protests of his body and charged over to the shadow. The picked up one of his knives from the floor and threw it at its back to draw its attention.

The shadow seemed to grow even angrier and as it tried to claw at him he summoned his persona in defence. Another casted yet more lighting his way. His persona was way too weak to defend him form the electricity attacks.

When the third shadow tried to attack he started to panic, how was he supposed to defend himself from that as well?

In his final desperate attempt he summoned his persona one last time.

Next thing he knew he could hear the sudden gasps of shock from behind him, and he did not feel the contact of the enemy.

He slowly opened his eyes only to be met with a strong feeling of shock at the site in front of him.

-That was not his persona. Izanagi had been Yu's.

So that dream had really been true then. He had a feeling that when he woke up that it felt all too real but he had to be certain that what the lady had said was true.

Now he had a real chance of defeating them, once and for all.

\-------++++-------++++-------++++-------++++

He blocked the attack from the next oncoming shadow with his newly acquired persona and dodged its lighting strikes.

_How was he supposed to summon a different persona again? Ahh, if he remembered correctly Yu had summoned them by calling out a different name._

_'Come forth Undine'_

He used her powers to finally heal his wounds and replenish his strength. If they can regenerate so can he.

He casted Mabufula on all the shadows before he leapt behind and stabbed one from behind with his knife. One down.

Next he called upon Orthrus and casted Agilao to attack the shadows with fire and caused a significant amount of damage to one. He quickly finished it off with a slash of his blade and turned to the other.

How was it that these enemies were so easy for him now? He couldn't even believe that foes this weak could of attacked him so badly in the first place. Having more than one persona was awesome. Why was it that his partner didn't so off more often?

The last shadow was an easy feat he didn't even need to call forth a persona as it already had taken a fair amount of damage and so he easily killed it with his knives.

He had won. 

That was the first battle he had won on his own and not to mention his first win with his new powers, man was this wild card thing really is something.

Completely worn-out he staggered over to his friends and healed them back to health using Mediarama, not forgetting himself.

Now completely drained he collapsed to the floor in complete exhaustion. Of course, using the wild card for the first time will definitely take a lot out of you especially when your first target it three incredibly high level shadows.

He really needed to get out of here.

\-------++++-------++++-------++++-------++++

Getting out of the T.v was by no means an easy task even with the help of Teddie. Even though their wounds have been health they were all increadbly tried and worn out. Even walking back up the stairs was a challenge enough for them.

After he had healed his friends they decided the sooner they get out the better. They could explain everything later when things have cleared up and when they are in the right mind to be able to try and comprehend better. For now they needed to rest.

Once they had made their way back from June's they agreed to go back to Yosuke's place to gain back their strength. His place was the closest and going back to their own places would be too much hassle anyway.

He was now currently sat on his bed with Teddie and Yukiko beside him. Naoto and Rise were sat on his sofa with kanji who just got out of his shower on the floor leaning on the couch to the right of them. He had made quite a lot of mess which Yosuke was annoyed that he would have to clean up later. Who knew that a guy who was quite good at cooking could leave a lot of mess behind.

Ahh well, he didn't mind too much though. The rest of the group had also made a significant amount of mess as well when they came in with their bags and jackets thrown around his room and covered every available floor space he had.

"Jess... Who would have thought a few shadows could drain us so easily" Rise said tiredly to no one in particular.

Now normally Yosuke would be over the moon to have a girl stay over, even an idol to boot, but he wasn't really excited now. Maybe it was the fact that he was too worn out to care or the fact that there was also a couple guys there but Yosuke had other things to worry about.

"And to be defeated that bad too" kanji added.

Rise's expression deepened before replying."At least Yosuke was there to save us, I thought that he wasn't ever going to come there anymore. It had to say it was quite a surprise to see him." 

They were all pretty shocked that he had showed up but they were also increadibly greatful that he showed up in time. Any later and they were sure that they would be long gone by now if he hadn't of shown up to save them.

"So what made you change your mind all of a sudden?" Naoto asked bluntly.

" No that's not just the main queston, the main question is how were you able to summon multiple personas just like that?"

What was he supposed to say to them? He had a sudden change of heart after talking to Nanako and got Yu's ability from a strange magical world from a strange blonde woman he met in some sort of dream when he passed out from being too weak to fight anything and so they felt the need to give him extra powers. He decided the best thing to do was tell them everything that happened to him from the beginning. From what Nanako said to him from his newly acquired powers, well apart of his experience in the velvet room. Some things were better left unsaid. Instead he mentioned how he acquired them when he saw himself in a life or death situation in which his friends were in great danger and so that's why he had gained a simular power of their old leader's in order to save them. 

His friends were slightly confused at first but soon understood what he was trying to tell them. Honestly everything these past few months had been confusing for them.

"So you are saying that you now can have more than one persona permanently? I want one too. " Chie complained, Yosuke tried to pretend he hadn't heard her.

"What we really need to do is focus on the case, If we think about it Yosuke's ability will be quite helpful in solving this whole incident. We should try to use it to our advantages in this situation. " Naoto said firmly to the whole group to no one in particular.

"Yes, that is true but...that still doesnt help us much in where to start looking for this guy, or woman for that matter, who knows how many people are responcible. I don't think my new powers will be that helpful, Yu had the same thing and he hadn't manage to catc- I just don't see how we are supposed to ever find them."

The atmosphere of the room started to deepen slightly before Yukiko spoke again, "well we should at least check out the T.v world out a little more still... I mean we did find those glasses."

Yosuke's eyes widened slightly. " I forgot that you guys had found that, how did you guys find them anyway. "

"We found them when we decided to look for more clues about the case after you decided to no longer carry on with it,

Yosuke winced at the feeling of guilt, he couldn't help but feel that Kanji was making a dig at him though, ouch.

After a while we walked a little further than normal since there was very few shadows around and we found them laying on the ground before we were attacked soon after, they are no doubtfully leader's."

" Then we should go look there then, we're bond to find something else! " Yosuke almost shouted before trying to keep his emotions back it to place.

"Yosuke is right going back to that place is our only best bet. HOWEVER, we must proceed with caution if we go back to investigate. After all isn't it a little suspicious how there was very little shadows around when normally that place is teaming with them. Not to mention that the shadows we have came across seem unusually strong, normally they not act like that unless it is foggy on this side, but like you said we have no choice but to go back."

\-------++++-------++++-------++++-------++++

The next day was hard for Yosuke to concentrate. All his mind could think about is how they were going to go back to the other side today,but that was after school. To him however meant waiting over several more boring hours recovering things that he has been taught a thousand times despite the fact that he will never get it when he could be out there instead, doing something actually useful. At one point Yosuke felt like skipping lessons completely today, hell what was the point in going today anyway it wasn't like he was learning anything today anyway. Ahh but well, what was he supposed to anyway on his own and he was sure as hell that the rest of the group wouldn't skip school with him too. Especially Yukiko, her parents would kill her if she missed school out like that.

Urrh, how he wishes for the day to end sooner.


	8. Chapter 8

"Are you sure you have everything, including Teddie over there?" Chief repeated for a third time making sure they were completely prepared to avoid another incident like last time.

" Of course I do, besides this bear doesn't carry much anyway, that's because we have Yosuke over there ~bear. "

"HEY!! WATCH IT BEAR HEAD, I'M NOBODY'S MULE AND I DON'T REMEMBER CARRYING YOUR CRAP WILLINGLY YOU jUST THROW IT AT ME AND EXPECT ME TO HOLD IT FOR YOU! AND HAVE WAY TOO MUCH SHIT YOU KNOW THAT!!" Yosuke shouted aiming to punch Teddie only for him to move out the way just in time.

Deciding that they were all ready they walked over to the T.vs near them and prepared themselves to go through. However, just before Rise went in she stopped for a few seconds to let the others go in ahead of her and Yosuke.

"Are you really ok going on Yosuke? It's not too late to turn away now you know, we wouldn't be mad either. We understand that it might be a little hard for you to handle, you don't have to force yourself to do anything you doo feel comfortable with. We can go on our own now, we were just caught a little of guard but now we know what to prepare ourselves for, but that's not to say that we don't want you there ." Rise said trying to carefully put the words together in a way which doesn't sound the most offensive but still sowing her and the group's concern about him.

"It's okay Rise, really. I already decided that I would do this with you guys. Besides, I want to know the truth. It eats away at me more not knowing more than anything. If I do this I might finally be able to sleep in peace for once . I've lost way too many friends to not do anything, and to Hell am I going to risk you guys getting hurt as well. I'm definitely sure I want to do this, Rise." Yosuke said giving the smallest of smiles to her to reassure her once again that he was okay with it and that she didn't need to keep worrying about him. 

" Okay, Yosuke. As long as you are ok with it then I'm really glad that your back with us." Rise said starting to look tearful at him. "we've really missed you, you know?"

\-------++++-------++++-------++++-------++++

" Okay, this is the plan. We go back to that same place were we found those glasses at and we look around for any more clues that could help us. Oh and please remember to be careful. I really mean it this time those shadows there are no joke they could seriously injure one of you. " Naoto spoke with sternness in her voice as she stood in front of the group to gain everyone's attention.

It didn't take as long as it normally did when they first got there as they had managed to remember how to get there without getting lost or being distracted Save for the few times Teddie went off talking about his new analysis of shadows and what he wanted to eat at the food court next. Teddie really does have an unbelievable short attention span.

They fought a few more shadows while they were in there, they were fairly strong but it wasn't too much for them to handle and with them having relatively good stars they decided to look around a little further to satisfy their curiosity. 

But to their luck they didn't find anything more evidence that could be useful. It wasn't a completely wasted trip though. It was good practice for them to practice new skills and for Yosuke to try out his new abilities better. He still needed a lot of work though, he was terrible at aiming at anything to be honest. And not to mention the fact that he kept summoning the wrong personas making him more vulnerable than he otherwise would have been. It also have them time to fully map out and assess the areas which were fairly new to them which was also a very useful thing for them to use to their advantage in case they experience any more hardships along the way.

For the next few weeks the Investigation team had been going back to the far side of the T.v world in their now usual area. Yosuke has been the main one to suggest them to keep going back everyday so they could strengthen their abilities but mainly for his own sake to practice, not like any of his friends minded though. If anything they were glad to see him be enthused this much with something, especially with something that finally made him seem more like his old self again. 

Yosuke had now started to spend most of his spare time studying the new personas he now has at his disposal (although he didn't really have much of to begin with let alone his endless piles of homework which he keeps prolonging and long days of work at June's because of his greedy father who insists he has to work hard for his pocket money which can hardly pay for the equipment that he uses). 

The night after they went back into the T.v world and Yosuke had gone to sleep he had reawoken back into the velvet room. He was greeted again by Margaret although this time there was also an old man with a very long nose. To be honest he kind of creeped Yosuke out a little bit he soon introduced himself as Igor and he soon saw him as a pleasant person. He told him about the situation similarly to what his assistant told him and he then congratulated him on being able to use the ability successfully without too many complications and the fact that he was able to control the powers by some from of degree, although however not really as well as he was making it out to be. 

Margaret then handed a heavy blue book towards Yosuke and told him to open it. Inside was a large assortment of cards containing different personas and a list of their different abilities. She then told him how this was a collection of all the previous owner's personas that he had acquired. As he scanned through the pages he saw an impressive amount of personas some he had never even saw Yu using before in battle.

"Now normally when the wild is handed down the personas acquired from it aren't also handed down, it is usually the duty of the new successor to gain new personas for themselves by their own means. However, like we have said your case is not usual and so therefore we are providing you with extra support which we don't give normally, we have decided to give you a head start and provide a wide range of personas for you to use freely to help you will your task to make things easier for you.

However, that is not to say you can't get any new ones on your own. You can either acquire new personas either by catching them in battle or by fusing personas together if you wish to gain a new one.

Firstly to catch a persona you need to weaken it first, sometimes when you weaken the enemy enough it may surrender and ask you to spare it. At that point you can either ask it for things or ask it for it to join you. However, keep in mind you can only carry a limited amount of personas at one given time, don't ask me how many though you will have to find that out for yourself, everyone is slightly different depending on who they are. That's where I come in, when you have too many you can simply ask me to register personas in that book so you can get rid of the ones you currently don't want and you can ask me to recreate them at a small fee of you should require them again. 

You can either dispose of unwanted personas by setting them free or you could use them to rise together a new persona. To do that you can just ask me to fuse them together if you have two or more personas to create an even more powerful persona. Different combinations personas create different types of personas. However remember not all personas can be fused together and not all fusions are successful. Although that shouldn't hopefully be too much of a problem for you. 

That should be all you need to know for now, and remember if you have any questions at all feel free to ask us. To enter here at your own free will all you need to do is slip into a trance like state or while you are sleeping and you will find yourself here, after all this place lies between the realm of dreams and reality. "

Over the course of the weeks that had since passed Yosuke had made good creating new personas by catching personas that he had encountered in battles and attempted to fuse the together with the help of the blonde assistant in the velvet room who didn't seem to mind. 

However, he was quite awful at catching them. Yosuke had pretty bad reasoning skills and most fled away from him. It almost reminded him when him and Yu had first met Teddie, he was quick to assume that Yosuke was the bad guy and refused to listen to his protests but the instant Yu reasoned with him he believed him. What was it that he had in him that he didn't? Maybe it was Yu's calm but yet assertive manner he carried with him when he talked to people. Everyone seemed to never take Yosuke seriously.

The next time Yosuke encountered a surrendered shadow he tried to copy his friend and he got a claw to the face.

\-------++++-------++++-------++++-------++++

" Jesus why does it have to be so cold today? " Yosuke said quietly to himself. It was almost December now and the whole of Inaba has been covered in snow from last night. The roofs and shop signs were covered in white and the roads filled with ice. Normally Yosuke loved the snow when he was back in his old city. A few centimetres meagre snow on the group meant a day off school and hours of fun with his friends playing snowball fights despite the fact that they were almost grown that were still messing around near a park. 

Now that he was in this small rural town they got way too much snow for his liking which kept him extremely cold and uncomfortably soaked and yet the schools almost never closed because the people of Inaba were like completely immune to the effects of extreme snow that was like piled several foot high (well maybe not that much snow but it sure felt like there was) much to his disappointment. To make matters worse was the fact that his parents were always too busy to drive him to school and the only bus service in town only ran about every other hour which meant that he had to bike through that shit, which is not an easy task mind you.

He eventually made it to school after falling off his bike several times and walked over to the bike racks to put his bike away. He was cold and shivering and no thanks to his bike his left ankle burned like hell after his foot slipped of one of the pedals when he landed on the ground and hit him in the back of his leg. He really wished didn't wear both of his scarves at the same time because they were now both soaked and that meant he doesn't have a dry one to walk back home in.

As Yosuke sighed as he finished attaching his bike lock to his bike he suddenly felt two hands by his sides and he jumped. He heard someone laugh behind him and turned around to see Chie standing there.

"Was that really necessary Chie? Christ you almost gave me a heart attack, I really wish you would stop doing that to me all the time!" Yosuke said disgruntedly at her.

"I'll stop doing it when you stop being being such a scaredy cat. Anyway you might want to hurry up or we'll be both late, I really don't want to miss break again. Last time was a real pain."

Yosuke tried to ignore the first part of what she said and followed her to class. And as usual to no ones surprise class was really boring that day. He even had a test which he had completely forgotten about but it wasn't like it mattered much since it didn't count towards his grade or anything so he didn't really bother trying too hard on it, besides maths sucks. If he revised he'd just become even more confused anyway.

Lunch wasn't much better either, it was too cold for him to sit outside and so he ate lunch in the classroom instead with Chie and Yukiko. They pretty much only talked about the snow and even though he didn't really have much to say he would have preferred to talk about something else instead. He was sure he had fallen asleep at one point because he eventually felt Chie's pencil digging into his back right into his shoulder blade.

"-Hey Yosuke, sleepy head, wake up! Lesson 's finally over, you gonna sit there or what? " Chie said practically screaming in his ears.

Yosuke slowly raised his head off the desk and moved to put away his things in his bag. His head hurt like crazy as he stood up from his desk and he almost had to put his hand up to his forehead. When he finally walked out of the building and the school grounds with Yukiko and Chie by his sides he was finally greeted by the others and one especially energetic bear.

"Hello there friends, would you look at all this snow! This is the perfect weather to call for a beary-fun snow ball fight!! "

"Shouldn't we be going to June's though? No offence Teddie It's kind of a waste of time for us and I don't think the others even still like that sort of thing. ". Yosuke said continuing to walk down the street to go over to June's so they could carry on with their practices. 

"I think it's a good idea, we can take a break and it would be a real shame if we don't get to enjoy the snow this year. Besides I think we all need to rest a little and chill." Rise said almost as energetically as Teddie was.

The others nodded even including Naoto and went off to the park despite Yosuke's protests. He really didn't want to get soaked again and his clothes had only just barely dried. It's a pain shuffling around wet clothes and it is really very uncomfortable to fight shadows in. Yosuke needed time to focus on wielding his personas not messing around in a children 's park, they're like too old for that kind of thing anyway. Curse this horrible snow.

Yosuke stood with his arms folded and sighed. He really didn't want to deal with these idiots. In defeat he also made his way over to the park. He tried to sit on one of the benches only to remember that the benches would probably be way too cold for him to sit down. Teddie must have seen his annoyance as he walked over to him and stood nearby him.

"Yosuke why are you standing here? You should be hiding! Someone can easily attack you if you're stood out in the open. Mind you Kanji is a mean thrower you know."

Yosuke frowned and tried to walk away from him. " I'm really not in the mood to play dumb games right now. We could be using this time to train. "

"Everyone needs to take a break now and then or your brains will go to mush! You know you need to loosen up too Yosuke! "

Yosuke tried to refuse Teddie's offer but Teddie trapped a handful of snow and poured it straight down his back. Yosuke yelped in surprise and aimed to punch him only for the near to start running away from him.

" GOD DAMN YOU, YOU STUPID BEAR! JUST WAIT TILL I GET MY HANDS ON YOU! "

Yosuke grabbed a handful of snow and chased him in the direction he ran.He eventually found Teddie and tackled him to the ground and covered his face with the snow in his hands as Teddie tried to playfully push him off. They were eventually hit by everyone else and he soon found himself joining in on their little wars. 

At one point Yosuke and Yukiko hid behind one of the climbing frames to avoid Rise's line of snowballs. Man she could really move fast. Yosuke kept a look out for the others while Yukiko made more snowballs for them to throw. Just before she was about to make the last one they were attacked from behind by Chie and Yukiko threw the largest snowball they had only from her to miss completely hitting a random stranger outside the park making them drop the groceries that they were carring.

Shit.

Yosuke went up to them outside the park to check to see if they were alright. As he lent a hand to help pick up the spilt contents on the path only to see a familiar face. Adachi looked slightly tired and for spilt second Yosuke could see the annoyance on his face. Probably wasn't too happy to be hit by a large snowball.

"I'm really sorry, we really didn't mean to hit you. Let me help you pick these up-

-It's fine, I'm okay. No need to apologise accidents happen all the time. Besides it's not the first time that this has happened to me. " Adachi said trying to decline his offer. Upside still helped him anyway and started to put away the spilt food off the ground back into the blue plastic bags. This guy was just as boring as he looked, it was just the same old stuff such as bread, a dinted bottle of semi-skimmed milk and a couple of wilted cabbages.

He had finished putting them back in the bags and handed them back to Adachi. "Like I said again I'm really sorry for that, I really didn't mean anything by it."

" It's okay no harm done here you can go now, your friends are probably waiting for you. There's no reason for me to keep you back. "

" That's a relief, I didn't want to offend you or anything. Besides your probably quite busy already with the whole case and all. " Yosuke said to him still quite worried that he might hate them now.

"Oh yeah the case. No I'm not actually that busy with anything, nothing new has turned up and so there really isn't much to work on in the office." Adachi said shuffling the bags weight from one hand to another.

"Well I should probably get going now, I shall see you again some other time. Oh, and tell me if you 've learnt of anything new which can be useful to us, you can always find us at the station." Adachi said to Yosuke just as he started to continue walking down the street presumably back to his apartment .

Yosuke decided that he should also go back to his friends in the park. Since it was cold outside maybe he should go to the Beef Bowl with them later as his treat. Well except Chie, she eats like a horse sometimes especially when someone else is paying.

\-------++++-------++++-------++++-------++++

When Yosuke got back home late he was greeted by a note to say his parents would be late back attached to the fridge and he went up to his room to put his stuff away. Teddie as per usual was hogging the bathroom like normal meaning he couldn't take a shower until much later. Getting tired of waiting around Yosuke decided to go into the kitchen to microwave the food his mother had left for them in the table. Pulling off the plastic wrap from the bowls he set them into the microwave pressing a few random buttons on the display, not really caring about how long he should put them in for and say down on one of the kitchen chairs to wait.

After the food was done he stood up to take it out and took out a portion for himself into a separate small bowl and went to the couch to eat. The food didn't really taste that good but he still ate it anyway since he was pretty hungry after playing in the wet snow for almost a while hour despite the fact that they went to eat out later. 

When he finished he decided to go upstairs to take a shower himself since Teddie was probably done by now in the bathroom. When he went to his room to get a clean change of clothes Teddie was already dressed and made his way out of the room to go down stairs. Yosuke grabbed a couple of clothes at random and went to the bathroom to clean up and to take off his damp clothes.

His shower lasted longer than he would normally would take. After running around all day in the cold it felt nice to stand under the warm running water from the shower head. After he was finished he went over to the closet to get a towel to dry off with. However much to his annoyance Teddie had used up the last clean towel and he had to drop dry instead. Teddie always had a habit of using way too many towels than he needed.

By the time he got back to his room Teddie was already asleep on his sofa. Deciding he was not tired enough to sleep yet he went to turn on his T.v. He walked over to his bed and sat on it so that he could see the screen. Not wanting to wake up Teddie he turned the volume down so that it was only just audible and went though to see if they had anything worth watching it not. 

As Yosuke was flicking through the channels went his T.v went funny and changed to a static background before it began to show blury images on the screen. Yosuke quickly went to check his alarm for the time and it had only just turned midnight. 

It has been awhile since he had seen anyone on the midnight channel. He had been checking almost every night to see if anyone was in danger and needed their rescue. Yosuke wouldn't like to admit it but he felt a little excited to help another person since they hadn't saved anyone in a long time.

He got off his bed where he was sitting and went over to the T.v to get a better look at the screen. At first the images projected were unclear and the figure were indistinguishable to him. As he stated closer at the image the figure in the screen became clearer for Yosuke to see. He was met with a very familiar face.

Nanako Dojima.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Merry Christmas and I hope you have a good next year.


	9. Chapter 9

Teddie was surprised to be woken up by a frantic Yosuke. Had he done something bad again? He couldn't think of anything he had done particularly wrong recently, had he slept in too long? Although it did seem pretty dark out still.

Teddie sat up from his spot on the couch after being shook for the tenth time. "Okay, okay..." Teddie yawned out. "Teddie is up, it better be important. Teddie needs his beauty sleep too you know."

" I really don't care about that right now!! You need to look at the T.v right now!! " Yosuke said pushing Teddie towards the direction of the T.v in the bedroom.

"Look there, look who it is! Nanako needs out help! We have to save her Teddie!" Yosuke said in a very panicked manner.

Teddie forced his tired eyes open from the bright light from the T.v. When he looked at the screen her saw exactly what Yosuke was telling about. There she was in the T.v. She looked so scared and confused. Eddie's heart sunk. He couldn't bare to see her like that. Yosuke was right: they had to rescue her.

"What do we do Yosuke!? We have to do something quickly!"

Yosuke looked at Teddie before walking closer to the bedroom door. "I'm not sure yet, but the first thing we have to do is call the others. Teddie try to contact them on your phone, I'll go get mine."

\-------++++-------++++-------++++-------++++

Almost as quickly as they called them they arrived at Yosuke's house. He could tell most of them had only just gotten up judging by their current appearances. Getting here proved quite a challenge considering the time, even more so battling the ice to get there.

Teddie and Yosuke explained the situation to the Investigation team over the phone and told them to gather at Yosuke's house quickly. Normally they would at least wait till tomorrow but a girl at a young age like her would not last long at all if she were to be thrown into the T.v alone. She would not be able to defend herself.

Rise was quite confused at something. "...Hang on a minute...there is something I don't quite get. Nanako, she never was on T.v right? I don't remember seeing her at all. Unless it happened without us knowing, but for what reason would she be on it for?"

Now the whole team was confused. They didn't remember seeing her either, how was it possible for her to show up so clearly in the midnight channel?

As they were asking questions to one another an idea came to Naoto. " I think I know why. It is true that she hasn't been on public T.v but remember, her picture was shown in the original newspaper article, allowing the culprit to identify her without her actually appearing on T.v. This could mean it is possible for someone to be in the midnight channel who has never been on the news before. "

Kanji frowned even further. "If that's the case then this isn't such good news for us." 

" Kanji's right, this could mean more people are vulnerable than we thought. But first thing first, we have to warn her and Dojima." 

Yosuke nodded. "We should go to Nanako's house immediately, however her father would most likely still be at the station. We should spilt up, it will be quicker that way. We have to get to her and Dojima before it is too late."

\-------++++-------++++-------++++-------++++

Yosuke and some of his friends went to the police station in search Nanako's father. Teddie, Yukiko and Rise on the other hand as well as Chie went to go find Nanako to protect her in case the murder were to attack her. The last thing they wanted was for the culprit to get a hold of her.

It was extremely dark outside and difficult to see but with the help of his flash light from his phone he was able to make it over to the station with his friends. As they suspected and to their relief Dojima was still in his office despite the late time sat at his desk going over some documents. Man, Yosuke would hate to have his job. 

However, Dojima seemed less thrilled to see them barging into his office without prior knowledge of their unexpected visit. 

"Why are are you kids here!? You should be playing around elsewhere, I have not asked you to come here." Dojima said frustratedly at their presence.

"We came here because we believe that your daughter is in great danger and that someone is after her, you have to go home immediately!" Yosuke said trying to get him to leave the station quickly .

Dojima sighed. "Is this about me not spending enough time with her, I already promised her I would take her out during the weekend. I honestly would like to spend more time with her believe me, but I can't. Things have been really busy around here for us and I have too much work to do as it is."

" This isn't about you not spending enough time with your daughter, she really is in danger right now! "

Dojima stood up clearly annoyed now. "I already told you to leave, I will not allow you to threaten me. I suggest you leave now before I arrest you for threatening an officer.

" Wha- no we're not trying to threaten you we are trying to warn yo-"

Yosuke stopped just as he heard Naoto's phone to off. Naoto went to answer her phone as it rang in her pocket. Just as soon as she put her phone to her ear her face dropped before she slowly turned to face them.

"Nanako is not there."

\-------++++-------++++-------++++-------++++

" What do you mean my daughter's gone?? Where else would she be if she is not at the house. "

"Like we have said before someone was after her, they maybe be the same one who could have taken her as well." Naoto said sternly to him.

"We also believe that this person is also the killer who has been attacking residents recently. If that is the case then we have to find her before he does anything bad to her. "

Dojima stared at them for awhile before he began to clench his fists. "So you are saying the same bastard who as been killing people had my daughter!? Where the hell is that bastard, where has he taken her!? "

Naoto stood quietly presumably trying to think. She had no idea what to say. They had no idea who the killer is let alone where they might have her. They didn't even know when she had been taken. The only place they could actually look is inside the T.v when the killer decides to push her in. However, there is no way she could explain that to him and waiting for the killer to make a move on the girl so they could start looking for her faired no better either.

Yosuke also stood quietly in the room. He had no idea where to start looking either. The killer could be anywhere by now. The killer had managed to kidnap plenty of people without hardly any witnesses. They also were very discreet and always seemed to be one step ahead of them, almost like the carried a portable T.v with them wherever they go-

Someone who could carry a T.v with them whatever they go. Someone who had access around Inaba and could be quick and discreet with no witnesses. There is only one person who he knew who could pull that off. It all makes sense to him now, it had to be him.

"I think I might know who took him, Naoto."

Naoto looked at him quite surprised. "Who? What do you mean you think you know who it is? Do you know where Nanako is?"

"Think about it Naoto, who has the most access around Inaba and can kidnap people with almost no witnesses seeing any suspicious people or vehicles in the area, and- 

Yosuke leaned closer to her so that only Kanji and her could hear.

" The reason why they managed to take people so easily must mean that they have a portable T.v so that they could throw in anyone wherever they wanted to. The only person that could match that description is Taro Namatame. He can only be the one who took her. "

Naoto and Kanji stood quietly before nodding slightly in agreement. Taro Namatame had the perfect job to hide himself behind. As a delivery driver he could go anywhere and had enough space in his van to hold a T.v. Not to mention he knew the first victim very personally. Mayumi Yamano, his affair with her basically ruined his life. He lost his job and his marriage broke off with his wife and he had lost most of his friendships with people. He became an embarrassment to everyone and he must have become tried of the rumours spreading around about him. 

That gives him the perfect reason to kill her: for revenge. She ruined him and so he had to get rid of her. What perfect way to do that but throw her into the T.v and not get his hands bloody in the process. It must have been so easy for him that he wanted to do it again. That's why he killed konishi and Yu, and now he wants to kill Nanako too. 

" That fucking sick bastard!! I knew it has to be him, that guy is fucking unstable. First he terrorises the whole town and now he's taken my daughter. I'm going to find that bastard and kill him!! " 

Dojima grabbed his coat and stormed out of the station before either of them could stop him. Trying to calm down didn't do much good either. They tried to catch up to up to him but before they made it outside he had already taken off in his car. They couldn't let him go off alone by himself. Although he is an officer his state of mind wasn't good. He was most likely going to do something very reckless. Something that could put Nanako at an even greater risk. Namatame might panic and could end up hurting her in the process. Crap.

They had to find him before Dojima does.


	10. Chapter 10

Dojima couldn't think straight, his mind was too clouded with restless thoughts. He was so angry that his knuckles almost went white as his hands gripped tightly of the steering wheel. He didn't know where to start looking but he couldn't allow that bastard to have a hold of Nanako a second longer either.

He drove all around the town in search of Namatame's truck. To his dismay he couldn't find his vehicle in the hour and a half he spent looking for him. The darkness and the lack of light didn't help him either, especially the heavy snow which kept blocking his view. Shit, at this rate Namatame would have gotten away now.

As Dojima was driving in the furthest part of the town now there was less and less places he could be. Maybe he had really gotten away for good, took Nanako with him. His heart dropped deeply at the thought of that happening, but he was losing hope at this point. How could be have been so foolish leaving his daughter alone like that? He just assumed it as a nice, quiet town and since nothing bad had happened before he just assumed that since his daughter was very smart and mature for her age that she would be safe at home. God, how could be have been so careless?

As he was driving on one of the closed off roads a small flash of light crossed his eyes. Curiously he looked out of his side window and saw a large shadow casted in one of the small alleyways. He drove closer to see that the vehicle had just turned off its front lights and had seemed to stop moving. As he got even closer he came to realise that this was the truck he had came to look for, Namatame's truck. However, just as he noticed this though someone else must have noticed him to because the engine seemed to start back up again as Dojima left his car. As he went closer the vehicle reversed and drove away from him as fast as it could.

Dojima quickly raced back to his car door and went to follow the van. He managed to catch up pretty quickly to it and was in no doubt that Namatame was inside, possibly his daughter as well. He was so close to the truck now, he was so close in catching the killer. When he did Inaba could rest easily. This guy has killed far too many people for him to let him just walk away.

He tried to promise himself that he would take more care of his daughter after he found her, an almost similar promise he made at his nephew's funeral. His heart dropped even deeper at the thought of him. It had been so long since he had last thought about him. He felt so guilty when he died, it had been his responsibility to look after him and make sure that he was safe. He promised his sister that he would be fine in his care. But at that moment when he saw her tear filled eyes that day, he knew he has failed. 

That's why he has to stop him, to catch and arrest him for life so that he could finally ease his guilt. He hoped that he would be damned for life in the shittiest hell hole possible and for there. That guy deserved every bit of it.

The front of Dojima's scraped the back of the van as he speed up. The vehicle in front seemed to do so in return in a desperate attempt to excape. There was no way that he was going to get away now Dojima thought, the only option the other had was either to surrender or wait till Namatame's fuel tank runs out. However, just when he thought he had him they encountered a sharp turn as they passed a corner. The ice on the road made the vehicle in front to spin on the road and the driver seemed to have lost control over the truck. Dojima tried to avoid to avoid the truck by applying the brakes but because of the ice and the immense speed he was going at he could not stop. His car went straight into Namatame.

\-------++++-------++++-------++++-------++++

The Investigation team saw the crash. Teddie, Rise and Yukiko had left the house when they couldn't find Nanako and went to the station immediately after Naoto called. She had explained the situation when they got their and they went to go look for Dojima before he did anything he would regret.

A long time after they went looking they saw the two vehicles barreling down the road at full speed. The next thing they knew Dojima's car collided with the other and fell against its side. Kanji was the first to run up to his car to see if he was alright. Dojima was barely conscious but he was still alive. Kanji grabbed a hold of him and with the help of Yosuke they managed to pull him out safely and pull him to the side of the road. He was injured pretty badly and was losing a lot of blood. Kanji pulled of his own jacket and tied it around his waist to stop anymore blood from seeping out from his body.

Naoto tried to open the van doors but it was stuck. She and Teddie tried to force the door open and with a lot of effort they managed to open it. Yosuke was right about Namatame using his truck to trap people as in the back of the truck there was a T.v although now it was quite damaged presumably from the crash. It was no doubt that this T.v Namatame used to push people into Teddie's world to kill them.

But where had Namatame gone, and Nanako too for that matter? There was absolutely no one inside and someone has to be in here as someone had to have been driving. They didn't see anyone leave and there was no footprints in the snow either.

Naoto glanced over at the T.v in the back of the van. If he's not here and neither is Nanako and no one has seen anyone leave them doesn't that mean they went inside the T.v. 

He wouldn't go that far would he?

\-------++++-------++++-------++++-------++++

Yukiko was currently putting her books back into her bag and quickly made it out of the classroom with the friends. She wanted to go back into the other world as soon as possible. Last night after they had found Dojima and that Namatame had fled the ambulance had came to treat his wounds. He was currently in the hospital recovering from surgery.

Yukiko wanted to go after Namatame and follow into the T.v Yosuke told her not to. It was almost 3am and they were all tried. Fighting shadows while being worn out was not such a good idea, they would be at a big disadvantage. Instead the group decided to wait till tomorrow until they acted any further.

After the long night she was tempted to miss school all together but her parents didn't allow her, much to her own annoyance. She spent most of her time daydreaming and for once she was actually called on by the teacher for not paying attention in class. How was she supposed to concentrate on her work when all she could think about was Nanako?

They made their way over to June's to start preparing for Nanako's rescue. They make sure that they had everything ready and brought extra supplies in case. They didn't know what Namatame was capable of and neither did she. They had to be extremely careful because not only did they not know much about him he was also a killer, there is nothing to say he won't kill them either.

"Are you sure you guys remember what to do? Remember don't act too rash, you'll only end up hurting yourself unnecessary. Although in the other hand we have to act quickly though, we don't have as much time as we normally do for a rescue. She's only a little girl, she won't be able to defend herself in case of an attack." Yukiko and the others nodded slowly at Naoto's words in agreement. 

"Alright, with that being said it's best if we head over now. We need as much time as we can get."

And with that they stepped through to the other side.

\-------++++-------++++-------++++-------++++

As soon as they got to the other side they started their search immediately. They made sure to look everywhere for Namatame and Nanako. They experienced a few shadows along the way but they were an easy feat. They walked further through the T.v world and had Rise to attempt to locate them.

As they travelled deeper Rise started to sense something strange. "I think I feel something, I think I feel someone."

" Do you know where they are? Can you sense them? " Yosuke asked intently.

"Yeah...I think that it is them. They don't seem to appear that far away from us. However, I also sense a dungeon ahead."

" I'm guessing that's where they are hiding then. "

Rise looked at him before he realised that her expression seemed to resemble confusion. "Yes, that's what I think as well, although...something seems a little different with this one though."

" Different? What do you mean by different, Rise? "

" I'm not sure to be honest, all I know that it doesn't have the same feel to it that the other ones we have encountered had. I'm not sure why though, It just feels slightly strange. "

With Rise's directions the Investigation team managed to find the dungeon where Namatame was most likely holding Nanako prisoner. As Rise said it really was quite unusual. At the entrance stood a large gate between a white bricked archway as well as many plant pots filled with beautiful and colourful flowers. Not only that there was a sky full of hot-air balloons and rainbows seemed to be everywhere you looked as clouds surrounded the entrance. Even the pathway leading up to the gates were beautifully layed down. This place felt so much peaceful than the other dungeons, the others had always been so dark and gloomy. This place was filled with such innocence and peace, almost as like it was Heaven.

" Hey guy's, I'm willing to bet this is Nanako's dungeon " Kanji said slowly after taking a look around the place they were stood in, it really was much different than theirs.

Naoto nodded. "It would explain why it's so childish. Nanako is young girl, she hasn't experienced the whole world out there. She's more innocent than all of us, she doesn't seem to have very many ill thoughts yet. She's still growing as a person." 

Rise shook her head. "I do understand that she is quite pure still however I do sense a bad presence here though. Shadows still exist even here."

Just before anyone was about to respond Kanji bluntly talked up. "Aren't we forgetting that the killer is inside there too. If Rise is sensing that both of them are there is it possible that their dungeons have been combined with each others? "

"That is a possibility, Rise doesn't seem to feel anything else other than this place. I'm willing to assume you are correct, well that is the case that the killer's isn't just hidden elsewhere. Well either way we better continue on with caution. "

They entered the thorough the large gate and made their way into the dungeon. Fortunately for the gate was already wide open and so getting inside was no trouble for the team. Inside was no different from the other side, there was still plenty of flowers and the peaceful atmosphere seemed to follow as well with them. 

One of the first things they noticed as they entered the dungeon was the massive bean stalk it the centre of the floor. If you looked up you could see it traveling almost endlessly into the sky. If you looked close enough you could just barely make out the very top of the stalk and at the very top lead to some form of platform, no doubtbly the last floor in this place. If one of them were to hide something away from someone that would be the most likely place they'd hide. Other than the bean stalk there was nothing else.

" I'm guessing the only way is up then. "


	11. Chapter 11

Teddie looked around in amazement. "Wow, this is so beary-cool! It's almost as if we're in a fairy tale. I really like it here!"

Chie hit Teddie over the head. "Teddie, this isn't he best time to go site seeing! We have a task to focus on right now, have you forgotten about Nanako!?"

Teddie frowned and he held the spot on the back of his head. " oww...no I haven't forgotten Nanako, I was just trying to lighten the mood. I don't like when we're all serious and anxious. And as if I'd get distracted, one more minute we spend means one more minute Namatame has my sweet Nanako!"

"Jess, how does this bear have so much energy..? He might as well drink a couple of mouthfuls of kerosene at this rate."

They reached the first floor after climbing up the stalk and was met with a door with two golden lion emblems. As they entered they were met with a shadow and it quickly came to attack them after noticing the group. It was two mythical Gigas with their strange heads and large bodies. Using her persona Sukuna-Hikona Naoto casted Mudoonon on the first one. Teddie did a counter attack with his claws to try and finish it off but missed. The other shadow attacked Chie taking off a small amount of damage on her. In return she used Tomoe to use Bufula against it taking off a fair amount of its HP away. Naoto attacked it again with her pistol and aimed again at the other to the right of her. As the other one was defeated the other shadow was incredibly weaked, Kanji took the last blow killing the shadow completly.

Beyond where the shadows where was a long, bright colourful corridor made with a path of goldish bricks and tall pillars intricately decorated with gold trims. As they continued down the corridor there where several more doors they could enter. Yosuke went through the closest door near them and pushed the door open to get inside. On the other side of the door was a small room that looked very similar to the corridor, however it had a small fountain in the middle filled with clear blue water and to the left there was a blue chest. The chest was adorned with small jewels and just like the pillars outside had thick gold layer trim. The baby blue chest wasn't that large in size, not compared to some of the other ones they had seen but Yosuke went to open it anyway. Fortunately it was easy to open seeing that it was not locked and inside was a useful supply of medicines that they could use to health themselves later.

The next few doors they checked were just the same, however instead of chests there was a few shadows lerking behind them. Rather than fighting them they decided to avoid them in search for another passage way. On the fifth one the opened they came across another corridor almost identical to the other one they had just passed through.

From behind a shadow attempted to surprise attack the group as the group investigated the new area. It was a Rash Panzer that looked like a large circular tank with four main guns aimed at them. It used seal bomb against them dealing medium physical damage to Naoto, Teddie and Yukiko. Kanji charged at the enemy and attacked it with his weapon but to his dismay it didn't do any damage.

"Hey, it seems this shadow is immune to physical attacks, attacking it with your weapons won't do anything in it. However, it also weak against electricity, try striking at its weakness!"

Yosuke did exactly what Rise told them, he summoned Xiezhai and casted zio. It seemed to work as the shadow seemed fall over. Yosuke did a counter attack and took more health from the creature. In return it attacked the group again with deal bomb. This time it managed to damage Yosuke's health as well as Yukiko and she had been silenced by the attack as well.

Yosuke changed from Xiezhai to Nozuchi and used him to cast Zionga. The seemed to take quite a lot of damage from the lightning attack and soon it could barely keep up right. Teddie landed the last attack with his persona and took it down with bufula.

" Jess...how many corridors does there have to be? " Yosuke said slightly irritated after seeing the long range of doors. "Hey Rise, can you tell us where we are supposed to head next?"

" Oh! Just straight ahead, I can sense that there is stairs that we can use to get to the next level...I think. "

When they followed her directions they were met with a door that looked just like all the others in design. When Yosuke opened the door he was met with a smallish room with a large stalk erecting from a whole up above down from the ceiling.

"Urrr, don't tell me all the stairs are these stupid stalk things...do you know how hard it is to climb these things?? Ah well, at least there are no shadows blocking it..." Yosuke said defeatedly to no one in particular.

\-------++++-------++++-------++++-------++++

The next few floors were almost the same as the first. They fought a few more enemies and opened a lot more doors. Yosuke also found a few more treasure chests laying around filled with a few more useful items, although a few were locked so he couldn't get into them.

By the time they got to the fourth floor Yosuke could have sworn he heard someone's voice that he recognised as being neither his friends or himself.

**Mum...**

It definitely was a young girls voice, and really familiar as well.

"That's Nana-chan's voice!!" Teddie said with his eyes full of shock and tired to desperately turn around to locate her but he was unsuccessful at seeing anything other than the group.

**Mum...where are you..?**

**Why did you disappear..?**

**Why did you leave me..?**

**No...come back...**

Chie looked at them in amazement and confusion. "Are these Nanako's feelings?" It tore a hole in her heart to think about her still missing her mother, but she was still just a child. It must have been hard to hear that one day she was told that her mother went away and was never going to come back.

**But I'm not lonely... I have dad with me.**

That really surprised them next.

**I know he's always late coming home and he never plays with me because he's so busy... He can't cook or do laundry either. He tries to be nice even though sometimes he can be a little scary...but...**

**I love him.**

...That actually made them a little happier to hear that. It's nice to know that she still loves her father despite the lack of time he spends with her. Even though she has to do a lot to compensate him she still cares so much about him.

**...I have friends too now. My friends are so nice to me and they sometimes play with me. They always try to look out for me too, I really like them so much.**

**.**

**.**

**.**

**And... I have a big brother too.**

**Brother... I miss him.**

So did they. They also wished to go back to then. To those times where they could always act so care free even though they were investigating murder cases. During that time in October there had been those few weeks where they spent most of their time messing around preparing for the culture festival.

It really had been fun then. They didn't have as much to worry about such as exams or anything and they also had a small break during the case. Even when they had to dress up for those embarrassing pageants. Even Yosuke had to admit it was kind of funny to see the girls reactions when they found out he has signed them up, even more so when they found out that they couldn't back out and they got revenge by signing the guys up for the cross-dressing part. That part though wasn't as funny. Dressing up as a girl in front of the the whole school was so incredibly embarrassing. Although seeing Kanji and Yu in drag did lighten the experience.

But they know that now matter how much they wish for it they can never go back. Same with all the other things they once experienced. They were in the present now, and so they should enjoy the time they have now.

But still it made Yosuke feel a little sad.

**But I'm not sad. Big brother has just gone to Heaven, Mum is there too. It means she isn't lonely anymore. Big brother has always been so good at caring for people, I know he will make her happy. It's only fair that I share him. Mother had always given so much to me, I want her to be happy.**

**...And I know he's also protecting me now, just like always. He's there watching over me-**

**So I'm not alone-**

**-I'm not lonely.**

Kanji stared at the ground bellow him. "A kid...telling themselves that they aren't lonely just so they don't fall apart. "

Upside looked over at Kanji before sighing. "You idiot, we'll ruin everything if we start acting all sad. -We gotta greet her with a smile."

Silence seemed to fill the void between them. For a while nobody said anything, unsure of how to act. Just before Yosuke was about to say something else Rise started to act strange.

"Hmm? Is something wrong?"

Rise scanned the area once more before speaking. "It's that feeling again... Of someone else. "

"Is it Namatame?"

" Yeah... it seems most likely, however- I feel their power getting stronger. "

yukiko looked even more confused. "So he really went in after her after but...if he's the true culprit then surely he should know the dangers of coming here. Why come here then? Isn't it more dangerous in here rather than our there?"

Naoto lowered her eyebrow. "I don't know... But if it is him then he entered through the T.v in his van, that is also most likely where Nanoko went in as well. So- it wouldn't be wrong to assume both of them are still together. "

Teddie looked at her in panic. "This could mean that she is in grave danger! We have to save her!!"

\-------++++-------++++-------++++-------++++

After tackling a couple of more floors and defeating a large handful of shadows they finally made it to the seventh level. Just like all previous dungeons they had encountered the shadows were getting stronger as stronger the further they went up.

The group walked closer to the door and as they did they were met with another strange voice which seemed to echo throughout the dungeon.

**TURN BACK!!**

**STOP GETTING IN MY WAY!!**

Yosuke jumped a little at the sound of the booming voice. It was defiantly Namatame trying to get them to stay away. As hell they would! This bastard had Nanako in his hands which also has the blood of others, not to mention numerous kidnappings and other attempted murders.

When they went to open the door they were met with a strange shadow. It appeared to be a floating dark cross that was centred in the middle of the corridor. It had good scales on either side held by a large nail pinned into the middle.

**WHY ARE YOU GETTING IN MY WAY!?**

**I'm-**

**I'm going to save this girl!**

The shadow started to attack them.

"This one seems to be immune to darkness, don't bother fighting with darkness." 

Yosuke switched to Ose. He casted Sukuda to lower its hit invasion rate to make it easier for the others to attack. Immediately it attacked Teddie with fire taking a huge amount of health from him that Yukiko has to heal him straight away.

Kanji attacked next with his lightning followed by Teddie's Bafula. Next Maori shot at the enemy with her pistol which didn't seem to do much damage. The gaint cross went to attack Chie with Agidyne crippling her severely due to her weakness to fire. It then went to attack Kanji swinging one of its scales in his directions although it missed. 

Naoto shot her pistol at the shadow again and yet again it used mind charge to amplify its attacks. Yosuke tried to reverse it by trying to reduce its defence allowing Kanji to strike with his special lighting attack. balti was the next to attack with her Megidola.

The cross was leaning quite significantly now, it didn't seem to be doing well. Teddie attacked viciously again with his ice crippling it severely. In a last desperate attempt it casted Garudyne against him. Kanji struck it with his lightning one last time before it fell to the floor and disappeared into nothingness. 

The group sighed in relief.

"I'm really worried about Nanako-chan." Rise said worriedly. "Let's keep moving on shall we?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's the end of 2019 and also the end of the decade. I would say let's have a more productive new year but let's be honest, we're still going to be ending up doing the same things.


	12. Chapter 12

The last few floors had been a nightmare to get up. There where many strong shadows around and they were still particularly worn out from that strange shadow they encountered earlier. It had definitely came from Namatame, or so they concluded.

They decided to take a small rest outside of the last floor. They healed themselves up with the medicines they brought to bring back their health as well as their SP. After making sure they were well rested they made their way to the front of the large doors.

The group were met with a long stone bridge that stretched across to the other side of the floor. Just as they predicted there on the other side was Nanako standing beside none other that Namatame.

Of course she wasn't there willingly as Namatame had his hand around her neck keeping the small girl from running away. They were so high up at this point, it was almost as if they were flying. They couldn't tell what frightened her the most.

The group rushed across the bridge without a second thought and made their way to the girl. They were standing between two Angel statues on a large platform just slightly above them.

"Rise-chan, Naoto-san, kanji- please help!!" It was Nanako as she tried to struggle out of the older man's grasp.

"Y-you mustn't go!!"

Yosuke stood starring as the older man spoke.

"Let Nanako go!"

" I'm going to save this girl... " his strained voice spoke out.

"Taro Namatame... It's definitely the real him!"

"So he's the real killer after all!"

" she didn't do anything, let her go! "

Namatame tried to speak above the loudness of their voices and objections. "Ah...haha, you're the ones who I've saved...

-don't worry I'll save this girl too..."

Kanji stared dumbfounded at his words. "Is this side high or somethin'..? Quit talking about and let her go!!"

As Kanji tried to walk closer towards them Namatame quickly pulled the girl closer to his chest by her neck. "D-Don't come near me!"

_Nngh..._

Chie saw that it he girl was in more distress and pain. "Nanako-chan!!"

Naoto tried to calm both of them down the best she could. "Calm down, Chie, kanji-kun. We can't predict his behaviour!" Her words seemed to make them less aggressive although a little more tense and waited to continue speaking. "We have to keep him talking. If we can discern his intentions, perhaps we can somehow deal with him."

From behind them Rise spoke out. "Why are you doing this?"

"To save them..."

Seeing that his initial reaction to the question didn't seem too hostile she tried to ask a different question.

"What is the midnight channel?"

Yet again Mahayana answered back. "People appear on the T.v who need to be saved-

That's why I put them in the T.v."

Yosuke was finally fed up of his bullshit. "LET GO OF HER YOU SICK BASTARD!!"

"No, we must pull his attention away from her!" Naoto then sighed deeply. "You put the people who you saw on the midnight channel into this world, am I correct?"

"They all... want to be saved..."

Rise frowned again at his repeated response. "Did I ever ask you to save me?"

Kanji seemed to also agree significantly. "And you didn't save us, dammit! It was the exact opposite!"

Namatame started to laugh again. " If I hadn't put you in the T.v how would you have ended up? "

"Are you trying to say... we wouldn't be able to face ourselves? "

Yukiko tried to speak after numerous attempts of stuttering. "How would we..? What!? We almost DIED!"

"Yes...exactly..."

Yosuke stared intensively at him. "You kidnapped them...yes or no?"

" Yes... "

Naoto asked him another question. " why did you target local residents who have became known through the media? Why do these people appear on the midnight channel? "

"On rainy nights... on T.v... they signal me... to save them."

This seemed to anger Yosuke further. "You keep saying save this and save that... Are you saying your way of saving people is by murdering them!?"

Namatame laughed even further. "Murder..? No I'm saving them-

" Cut the crap! How's that any different, huh!? All you're doing is killing people! "

This seemed to frustrate the older man slightly. "Haha...if you want to think thank ahead." Another laugh erupted from his chest. "I know...you chased us all the way here... to kill...

Haha...too bad, because I'm going to save her..." He pulled the young girl even closer towards him.

_Nnnngh..._

"You asshole!! You're not going to get away with this!!"

Namtame seemed really frustrated now. **SHUT THE HELL UP!!**

Just them a purple fog seemed to spill out off him and slowly surrounded him. The fog created a thick atmosphere around him covering Namatame and Nanako. 

**What a beautiful world... An unknown, unreachable place... filled with pleasant fog... I'm a saviour...**

His eyes were glowing yellow now.

**It's a filthy world out there, so many evildoers.**

**That's why I'm going to save them... I'm a saviour, a righteous hero.**

Yukiko gasped. "Is...no...is that a shadow?"

Before anyone could reply the were met with the sound of Nanako coughing loudly. " Someone help, please! I-I can't breathe... "

They were tired of standing around while Nanako was getting hurt like that. Screw what Naoto said they had to help her now. Yosuke ran up to Namatame before he could react and they shoved him violently backwards making him lose his grip on the girl.

"Teddie, now!! Grap her! "

Teddie quickly ran towards her and caught her in his arms before she fell and almost stumbled backwards when she landed between them. The others behind him quickly ran into her shortly after he caught the girl. They had been so worried that Nqmqtame would hurt her. They couldn't believe that he was going to try and kill her as well. She was just a child, how could she be a huge sinner?

The purple fog surrounding the man grew darker in colour as well as growing far more stronger than it was.

**No, give her back!!**

**I'm-**

**I'm going to save herrrrrrrrr!!!!**

\-------++++-------++++-------++++-------++++

The fog grew increasingly strong now, so much so that they could hardly see him anymore. It was too dark for them to see through it. Namatame was clutching the sides of his head. They couldn't tell if he was in pain or not but he was screaming louder than they ever heard before and he started to sway side to side.

A huge gust of wind almost made the team fall over and they had to hold on to each other for support so that they wouldn't be blown away. Teddie also increased his grip on Nanako in order to shield her away from the sudden wind storm.

Soon enough Namatame started to float and began to hover over the platform. The screaming was getting louder and louder. As well as floating higher his body started to morph. His hands and legs started to bend in inhuman ways and his skin was glowing crimson red.

His clothes tore away and was replaced with a long white robe that covered his now god-like figure. Strange solid red symbols soon covered his head above him and they started to spin around the top of him.

**I'm going to save her! Do NOT Interfere!**

Kanji charged towards Namatame and swung his weapon at him in an attempt to take him down. Chie used her persona and casted Rampage on him.

In return the tall shadow used Mabufudyne against them freezing the group. When Chie weakened he attacked her with Agidyne hurting her with a wave of fire. Yukiko quickly went to heal her from the shadow's damage.

Naoto shot at the tall shadow multiple times with her pistol. Yosuke took the opportunity to summon Garula with Kurama Tengu while it was distracted trying to dodge Naoto's rain of bullets.

**Let me save her!**

This time the god-like shadow casted Maziodyne attacking them with heavy strikes of lightning. Fortunately it managed to miss all but Naoto but Kanji quickly shielded her from the attack.

Yosuke used his knives to slash the enemy from behind making it scream in distress. The shadow casted Wind Break next to protect itself.

"Guys, he just used wind breaker! He's temporarily immune to wind attacks. Try to fight him with something else."

Yukiko attacked next, using her persona she summoned Agidyne to attack him a blast of fire damaging the shadow significantly. Chie followed next swinging her fists at the inhuman creature.

**Please, don't get in my way! I have to save her!**

The shadow aimed at Yosuke and hit him with God's Judgment halving his current HP and then used Quad Converge on the group.Yukiko attacked again with her blast of fire and Chie followed her like usual and attacked the shadow along side her. Kanji hit the demonic shadow with his weapon angering the creature even more.

This time the entity casted Control on them. Yosuke's mind was suddenly taken over and he charged over at Chie but because of her quick reflexes she was able to dodge him. He then aimed at her again and she managed to barely move her body in time before the blades would have pierced her skin. Afterwards he became worn out and he soon came back to his senses.

As he tried to recover the creature casted down Unerring Justice inflicting heavy damage to his friends. Yukiko tried to quickly heal them using her SP but she suddenly felt her energy being sucked away. The shadow had used Spirit Leech to steal some of her power. However, she managed to regain herself in time enough so that she could focus on healing them.

As soon as he recovered some of his health he used Atom Smasher to attack the strange phantom. It seemed to effect it greatly as it was now slouching significantly to one side. In a desperate attempt to stay alive it tried to send a wave of fire towards Chie but she was quickly able to dodge it.

**No!..I -I must save her!! I have toooo!!**

Chie landed the last killer blow and the creature staggered backwards. It fell from the air and landed on the ground below it. The strange symbols fell shortly after one by one landing beside it.

Another huge gust of wind came from it soon followed by the purple dog which completely shrouded the shadow. When the fog cleared away in place of the shadow stood Namatame, in his human form.

"I can't fail..."

He collapsed to the floor.

The group quickly ran over to Teddie and the small girl that laid limp in his arms. "Nana-chan!! Nana-chan!!" Rise was one of the first to reach them and as she did she held onto one of her small weak hands. "She looks to be in pain, but she doesn't seem to be injured anywhere..."

" This place must not be good for her Rise. " Teddie said sympathetically. "We need to get her out! Quick!" Teddie stood up from the place he was kneeling and picked Nanako up from the ground.

As he was about to walk out with her he was suddenly stopped by Naoto. "We still have to deal with Namatame. We should take him with us as well."

Teddie sighed. "Yeah...we can't just leave him here...

-but, how are we supposed to take him back? "

Yosuke looked back at where the older man was laying. "I guess Kanji and I will have to carry him then... "


	13. Chapter 13

The hallway in the hospital was quiet. Nanako was in the other room as she had the doctors and nurses assessing her. After they took her outside the T.v she hadn't manage to wake up and she seemed to grow increasingly ill. They sent her to the hospital to allow her to recover. She had been through quite a lot. She must have been so scared and frightened to end up in an unfamiliar dangerous place with a complete stranger. It had taken quite a lot from her.

She wasn't allowed any visitors however, so they had to wait outside.

The wait outside was hard for them. Standing around with not much to do but worry. They hated how this has happened to her. They wished they could do more, but they know that there was nothing more that they could do to help. It was out to the doctors and nurses now and Nanako's will to pull herself out of it. It didn't make it any easier though.

"Nana-chan's still quite small, So her other self didn't appear like everyone else... And she got caught in all this craziness... I-I hope she's okay." Teddie said gloomfully.

"I mean are the doctors here able to help her..?"

The atmosphere grew heavier...and more silent. Naoto noticing the negative mood in the air she tried to bring their attention elsewhere. "A delivery man named Namatame... The possibility of Nanako being targeted-" a wave of guilt flooded her mind.

"I-if I had been more thorough in putting the facts together..."

Yosuke shook his head. "That goes for me too. If only I hadn't stood their like a lump in front of that bastard Namatame Nanako might of been okay. Don't blame just yourself."

" I hate myself too... " Chie muttered to herself. "Why do I always panic where it matters most?"

Rise began to sniffle as well. "I should've noticed sooner that something was wrong with that guy."

Naoto started to feel worse about herself. "Why did I waste my time hearing what Namatame had to say!? If I hadn't tried to engage in conversation we'd of saved Nanako sooner!" Naoto almost felt like crying at that point. How could she have been so foolish? She was supposed to be a detective...

Kanji sighed deeply. "Alright, enough of this pity party. Is standing around whining really gonna be what we should do right now? Feeling pathetic, consoling each other... That's really gonna solve anything!?

-We got to believe in her.

So stop rehashing what's already done. Get it together, Naoto."

Naoto's eyes went wide in shock from Kanji's outburst. "Im- you're absolutely right. I'm sorry for acting like this..."

"This is all that bastard Namatame's fault, and he's behind bars now, right? And it ain't like we too late for Nanako, right?"

Naoto seemed to have calmed down a little from before. " I guess so. "

Teddie also tried to reassure her. "I'll come to see Nanako-chan everyday so she'll get better faster!!"

Rise agreed too and then looked over at Kanji before smiling. "Yeah, that's all we can do for now... Gee, Kanji you sounded really cool for a second there. "

Kanji appeared to be slightly embarrassed by her words but before he could respond a suited man walked by them. He walked for a bit before turning back around. It was Adachi. "Huh? What are you kids still doing here?"

"Adachi-san, umm... Did they find anything?" Yukiko asked nervously worried about what he might say.

He slowly shook his head. "Dojima-san's speaking to the doctor now, but they can say anything definite until they get the results back. Not just Nanako but the perp too...who knows when we get to hear his side of the story? ...Well it's getting late so you kids should go on home. The last thing we need is for you guys to start collapsing too. "

And with that he turned around and continued his way down the corridor down to the far side.

Yosuke watched him walk down the corridor before turning to the others. "He's right... we should call it a night. Nanako's going to be fine, it's not like we're going to do much good here."

Chie nodded her head before she got an excited look on her face. "When Nanako gets better, how should we celebrate?"

"Urrr...don't you think that's a little too early for that?"

Yukiko seemed to be a little happy as well. "How about we make a reservation at June's then?"

"A party... at June's? That makes no sense..."

The group stayed a little while longer talking about what they should do before going home and left their place in front of Nanako's room. As Yosuke was walking down the hallway he noticed Teddie was still stood outside her door.

Yosuke stood and stared at him for a while before he hesitantly walked over to him. "Hey, are you sure you're okay? You look a little down from here."

Teddie seemed a little surprised to see Yosuke standing in front of him. "Nanako-chan, she'll get better won't she..?"

Yosuke laughed a little. "Of course she will! This is Nanako we're talking about! She's more stronger than most of us here!"

"Yeah, i think so too." Teddie said with a small smile on his face. "Let's have all the fun with Nanako when she gets back!"

"Thanks Yosuke, I almost forgot how to keep a happy face!"

-but with that out of the way I'm kind of hungry..."

Teddie started to giggle. "Hey, everyone wait for meee! Where are you guy's going with out me!?"

Both Teddie and Yosuke decided to run in order to catch up to the others.

\-------++++-------++++-------++++-------++++

The fog grew thicker now, almost as if it had a greenish tint to it. They were all around their usual table nobody was saying much but that was mainly because no one felt like it. There was an unpleasant atmosphere around them and not many felt cheerful. The fog was making them nauseous.

" Hey, you know what people are saying about the fog these days. 'Some specialists are raising concerns about the fog consisting of harmful chemicals more and more residents are calling for an investigation into this strange fog. Though the government has begun it primarily investigation, may feel that the cause of this mysterious fog will be hard to pin point.'" Chie paused for a moment. "It this fog really that bad?"

" You hardly see anyone walking around town anymore...or here either... " kanji grunted quietly as if he was distracted by something.

Rise slowly nodded her head in agreement. "Everyone is to scared of the fog to go out much anymore."

Teddie also sighed. "It also seems that th ere is a lot of fog on the other side as well...beyond that I'm clueless." Teddie frowned even further.

"There is another note here -" Naoto began, looking at the small brown paper folder between her hands. "A summary of Namatame's career, with details about the case. 'The suspect was having an affair with the first victim. It seemed she was killed due to relationship troubles. Also in April Ms Saki Konishi's body was discovered, presumably eliminated to hide evidence as she was the one who found the body. In July a boy in Inaba performed a copycat murder. The boy was initially thought to be the culprit behind these killings, but later suspicion was thrown upon Namatame. Dojima's nephew mysteriously dies in a similar manner, however, he police are still looking into a motive for his murder. Last month, the suspect attempted to kidnap a seven year old girl which resulted in his arrest.'

It seems that Namatame is still confined to his hospital bed, so further investigation has yet to commence."

"So it's finally over, huh... A lot of stuff has happened over the year... But all that's left is for the police to build a case against Namatame right?" Yosuke said from his seat beside her.

"The question is if they can prove that he his guilty."

" I hope so, but some of the stuff he was saying was absolutely nuts... " Rise said worriedly. "If he says anything about the T.v world he might be considered mentally unstable..."

Yukiko frowned as well. "Also, I heard that if the police do not have enough hard evidence it's hard to build a case."

Naoto looked over to the dark haired girl. "Yes, there are many such cases and culprits. It's an eternal conundrum for the crime Investigators."

Kanji shifted in his chair while bearing a bitter expression on his face. "So you're saying even if they're caught...the police can't do shit!?"

"It's a possibility."

Kanji was practically standing up in his chair by now. "Hell's up with that!? We ALL know he did it!!! You can't just let a maniac who thinks he is saving people by killing them wander the streets!!!

Yosuke didn't like the thought of it either. "They better not dismiss something this serious because of some mental illness...

Saki-senpai...

No not just her, or that announcer... even King Moron is his fault. If it wasn't for him then nobody would have tried that copycat killing. It's his fault that Nanako's in the hospital right now too! And...and Yu. All that shit he put us through!!

...God, that man has too much blood on his hands..."

\-------++++-------++++-------++++-------++++

They were all at June 's searching for anything for a welcome surprise party for Nanako when she left the hospital with her father. After all the things she had to go though they felt the need to do something special for her. While they were checking around the home department Yosuke noticed that Teddie wasn't shouting in his ear every twenty seconds in his overly cheerful voice over something new he had found. Instead Youske found him a few feet away form the group with his head hanging lowly as he stared at the tiled floor below.

Yosuke went up to his side to see if he was okay, it was really strange to see Teddie like this. As much as Yosuke found his usual self stupidity annoying he hated the strange feeling Teddie gave him, it didn't settle well for him. For someone so overly energetic to suddenly render motionless something serious had to of happened.

Teddie slowly looked at him with a saddened expression. "C-can I still stay here..?"

The rest of the group must of heard as they quickly turned around with shocked looks on their faces.

"I mean... You've all kept your promise to me... So I should be going back now." Teddie lowered his head even further. "But I didn't want to go back until Nanako got better. "

Yosuke was confused. "...huh? Of course you can! How many times do we have to say that before it finally gets through?"

Chie also said the same thing. "Why can't you stay? Nanako-chan would be upset if she woke up without you."

Teddie slowly looked up at Chie. "B-But I couldn't save Nana-chan..."

Rise suddenly chucked a bit before smiling at him. "Don't be silly, we saved her together."

"Yeah, we caught the killer, man. We couldn't 've done it without ya!"

Yukiko also walked over to Teddie before putting her hand on his back. "Teddie, you shouldn't talk like that when Nanako is still fighting, or have you forgotten?"

Teddie looked at them completely shocked, did they really mean it? "You guys...really? You don't mind me staying? At all? "

"Of course that's what we have been trying to say this whole time. And Teddie, at your place there is no one else but you, isn't there?"

Chie also seemed happy at the thought of Teddie staying longer. "Yeah! And while we're at it we can pick out Christmas presents for Nana-chan, you can help too Teddie! "

"We can also make a cake, right Chie?"

Yosuke suddenly shot up at Yukiko's suggestion. "NO WAY IN HELL ARE YOU MAKING HER A CAKE! WE WANT HER TO GET HER OUT OF THE HOSPITAL NOT PUT HER BACK IN!!"

" Hey, just because we made a few errors before doesn't mean we'd poison her, cakes can't be that hard to make you know!! "

"I bet you can't even make warm milk without messing it u-

_Buzzzzzzzzz...Buzzzzzzzzz..._

Naoto felt a familar vibration in her pocket.

_Buzzzzzzzzz...Buzzzzzzzzz..._

She pulled her device from her pocket and answered the call." Ahh, Naoto, it's Adachi calling. I was hoping you would pick up immediately. hmm? Are the others with you? Umm, I want you kids to stay calm and listen to me. Okay? Nanako, her condition has suddenly gotten worse. Since you guys are close to her the doctors wanted you to come as soon as possible."

.

.

.

Errm, I guess we'll be waiting then. please be quick. I'll call you if I find out anything more... See you soon. "

Silence.

" C-c'mon, let's go!!! " Yosuke said shakily bearly getting any words out not hardly believing what he had just heard, even though he knew it was.

\-------++++-------++++-------++++-------++++

The hospital was filled with numerous loud voices which drowned out Yosuke's thoughts. The investigation team were all gathered around the young girl's bed as one of the male doctors tried to explain to Dojima what was possibly wrong with her, but the loud sounds made it hard for him to concentrate on the man's words. He could hear the voices almost shouting at how the fog was making them ill and demanded that they give them vaccines which they didn't even carry. The fog was not natural at all, it only made sense that they didn't have a cure but they refused to listen saying that they were deliberately keeping it for themselves. Some even tried bribing the nurses and were every fumming when they refused. The fog was really making people go crazy and completely paranoid.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean!? Can't you see how much pain she's in!? " The sound of Dojima shouting pulled Yosuke out of his thoughts.

"All we can do is monitor her condition closely. Mr Dojima you need to return to your-"

"I don't care about myself right now!! Do something to Nanako-"

_Nnghh._

Dojima's hand went up to clutch his stomach.

The doctor tried to come closer to him but he pushed him away with his other hand. "Just save her... For God's sake please help her!"

The doctor looked at Dojima before sighing. "...We'll try our best. But I must ask you to step aside for the time being-

The doctor turned around to look at the others. "That includes you kids. I suggest you should leave for now, and let us handle her. There is nothing much more you can do here."

" Yeah, I guess we should wait outside guys. He's right we'd be nothing more that a nuisance if we stayed, we should go now. "


	14. Chapter 14

"Dammit! Why did this have to happen to that little girl!? "

"I can't forgive this!!"

"Me neither! It's all that bastard's fault!"

" guys...she's going to be okay, right? "

As they were waiting in the hallway they saw Adachi again as he walked towards them. "Hmm? You guys are still here? I thought you guys were supposed to have already left."

" How's Dojima doing? " Yukiko asked curiously unable to hide the hint of worry in her tone.

"His wounds opened up again, they're currently treating him in his room."

Yosuke looked over at Adachi. "Any luck with your investigation on Namatame..?"

Adachi's face was covered in dread and several seconds later he tries stuttering out a barely coherent sentence. "...urrrm...about that-" Adachi tried to take a deep breath before continuing. " I'm not going to mince !y words here, we're going to have a hard time making a case against Namatame and well, making these charges stick. "

Yosuke didn't seem to understand what Adachi was trying to say, he was completely guilty. What more prove do they need before he is finally locked up?

"What does that mean?"

"I talked to the guys at the station, and they say it will be near impossible to find him guilty in court. Especially the reason why we took him off our suspect list for the first case."

"...Oh...yeah" Chie chimed in. "Something about him having an alibi."

Adachi shook his head in agreement. "Yeah, that and the whole angle about the T.v thing about him pushing people into them. I doubt that would stand up in court to be honest. No one would believe something like that...You see the public wants facts, believable facts. They want to know where, when and how Namatame killed them, and if we don't have that then there isn't much we can do... Dojma knows this as well."

Kanji walked away from his spot mear the hospital window and moved a few steps closer tp Adachi. *Well aren't you calm about this?

" H-huh!? What..? I'm telling the truth! "

This seemed to piss off Kanji more. "And you call yourself a cop!? Huh!!" Kanji went straight up to Adachi and grabbed him hard by the collar. "If you want to see the truth so bad then we'll show you!! Hurry up and bring a T.v here, dammit!"

Rise quickly went up to Kanji and tried to pull at his shoulder to try and get him off him. "Hey, Kanji stop, you're going to hurt him-

_SLAM._

Nanako's door swung open and one of the nurses they had saw earlier ran out of the room down the corridor. She seemed to be in some sort of rush.

" what the...? "

Just as fast as she ran down the corridor she turned back around towards them. "Are there any family members here? Are any of you Nananako's family ?" She said in an almost nervous voice .

"Errr... We're not her family per se... But we are Nanako's friends. Is she alright...? Rise said as he voice started to waver.

" If there is no family members then may I ask for one of you to come with me? We can't have too many people in the room right now. "

.

.

.

"I think Teddie should go." Rise looked over at Chie who was stood closest to the door. " Don't you guys agree? I feel that Teddie is the closest to her, I think he.should be the one to go inside. "

The group looked at each other before confirming Chie's suggestion. "She's right, Teddie, you should be the one to go. Please take care of her."

Teddie nodded at them silently and went to follow the nurse inside the room.

\-------++++-------++++-------++++-------++++

_Daddy..._

All Teddie could hear was the sounds of the machines beeping and the desperate pleads from Nanako as she slept. It hurt him so bad.

" Don't worry he'll be hear soon, I promise Nanako. " He said as he stood by her side.

"..."

The sound she made surprised both him and the doctors.

"Nanako-chan can you hear us!?" One of the doctors said to his to his right. "Do you understand what we are saying?" The doctor glanced at Teddie. "Your friend is here to see you, just hang in okay?"

The doctor quietly said something to the nurse before nodding and the nurse went up to the girl. She began checking her machines and checked Nanako's current condition before checking to see if Teddie was doing okay..

"Don't worry, I'll get Mr Dojima right away."

\-------++++-------++++-------++++-------++++

Teddie was holding Nanako's hand now, he really didn't want to leave her alone. A few more nurses and doctors entered and left with the same motionless expression. He didn't just want to leave her alone here.

_Urrrh..._

_Dad- Daddy..._

_Big... Bro..._

"Don't worry I'm here, I'm right beside you. Always."

_...Teddie..?_

"Yeah?"

_I'm ...scared._

"...I know ...me too."

Her small, weak head slowly fell to the side.


	15. Chapter 15

The rest of the group eventually flooded in shortly after Dojima went in. He was slumped on his knees in front of Nanako's bed.

"I'm sorry sir, we tried all we could..."

Teddie knew what that meant, they all knew what he meant.

"..."

" ... ... "

"No..."

" Nanako... I- please don't tell me, it can't be... "

All their hearts sank. It couldn't be true, right? They saved her. They had all saved her. They even went all the way through that strange world to save her from the killer. They defeated his corrupted shadow and handed Namatame over to the police. That was supposed to be the end.

Why didn't they get their happy ending?

\-------++++-------++++-------++++-------++++

"ARRRG!!"

_SLAM!_

Kanji stood there with his knuckle bleeding were he punched the wall. It was only him, Rise and Naoto who was still left in the hallway after they had left. Rise could not stop crying and even Naoto didn't have enough strength to.comfort her as they sat on the bench.

" 'We did everything we could to save her', we couldn't find anything wrong with her.' BULLSHIT!! They barely tried at all!! How can they even call themselves Doctors!? They're just a bunch of dimwits!! "

Kanji's outburst seemed to startle Adachi who was nearby. "Huh, what's wrong? Why such the look kids-

Wait, it's... Nanako-chan isn't it...?"

Adachi's eyes went wide with shock before he managed to stutter out something. "T-then where was Dojima going? His bed wasn't that way-

...wait a second, that way is--"

\-------++++-------++++-------++++-------++++

The four of them went to look for the others around the hospital. They eventually found them at the reception and Rise called out loudly to them." Guys, Guys! We think Dojima's gone after Namatame!! Adachi said he was admitted to this hospital!"

Yosuke was completely dumbfounded. "You admitted him to the same hospital!? For crying out loud he's the culprit in this God damn case, have you forgotten! Why the hell did you do that!?"

" Why are you getting mad at me for? This is the largest hospital nearby, and he is on no condition to be moved. "

" Then why didn't you mention this before hand!? Give use a little warning you know!? "

" In case something like this happened! Details of a suspect's hospitalization are confidential information-"

"JUST TELL US WERE HE IS, OKAY!? DOJIMA IS ON HIS WAY RIGHT NOW ISN'T HE? YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT HE'S GOING TO DO IF WE DON'T STOP HIM!!"

" Kanji... " Rise said as realisation sank inside her mind. "You don't mean..?

" h-Hold on! What are you guys talking about- "

"Cough it up, where are they keeping him!?" Kanji grapped him by the collar more roughly then last time.

"...urrhh!... T-Top floor... in the second surgical ward, furthest room back- but there's a police guard..."

Kanji let go of Adachi and forcefully shoved him to the side as he and the others ran past him. Leaving Adachi on his own by the floor.

\-------++++-------++++-------++++-------++++

Teddie didn't follow them instead he stayed in Nanako's room even long after everyone left. He couldn't bring himself to part by her side which he so long promised to stay and protect her.

" i was always watching over Nana-Chan... And I still couldn't protect her... It happened in my world. Even though I was the only Teddie in that place I- I still couldn't do anything. "

He clutched her lifeless body closer to him.

_I guess I really failed you this time, huh, Nanako..._

\-------++++-------++++-------++++-------++++

By the time they got to the room they could already see Dojima trying to shove his way though two police officers. "Let go of me...I need to speak to him-"

"Sir, like we said before, without permission we can't allow you to go inside-"

"Permission..? Who gave him permission to kill Nanako? Tell me that, huh?" To hell with that!! Why does he get to still live when Nanako's dead!? He shoved at the two officers more violently.

"Give me back Nanako! Give her back! She's...she's all I have left!"

URRRRGG...

" Call a doctor, now!! "

" N-no! Let go of me! I need to-"

"Holy crap!!" Adachi said astonished as he walked closer towards them. " Dojima..? Quick, get him to his room immediately, I'll call the doctors! "

Adachi went off in search for a doctor or nurse to help while the two guards dragged Dojima carefully back to his room. Soon after they left the group slowly walked over to the front of the door. "Dojima... Was he seriously gonna..?" Chie asked nervously even though she already knew the answer.

"It wouldn't have surprised me. His daughter is dead after all." Kanji replied back to her. "As Adachi said, 'he probably knew... That there is little to no chance that he would be convinced.' "

"Dammit!" Yosuke said almost fuming. "He killed two of his closest family, he killed Saki-senpai and that presenter lady! And that bastard is just gonna walk away without paying for what he did!"

Yukiko started to sob. "T-That just isn't fair."

" Yeah... You're right, Yukiko. Why does that guy get to live why all the others don't get to. They should be all living their own lives right now but he stole that away from them.

They're aren't ever going to get that back... "

\-------++++-------++++-------++++-------++++

They stood lifeless outside of the door. What were they supposed to do now? Either positive outcome was practically impossible. They were doomed. Namatame can't be put away and the public were still at risk. There's nothing to stop him from killing someone once he got out of the hospital. It's true, who would believe what they have to say? How many people have to die before something can finally be done?

Yosuke stared at the door in front of him. What now..?

_thunk._

"...!"

It Was from Namatame's room.

They looked at each other before nodding, and they ran straight into his room. 

It was dark inside, none of the lights were on.There was a a strange breeze across the room which gave him shiver slightly. As his eyes adjusted his vision settled upon a tall figure by the window. It was wide open.

"..Hey!? What the hell are you doing!?"

Namatame slowly rose from his hunched up place on the floor. "...I-I was scared... So I...I-"

No. No, this guy wasn't seriously doing that just now. "You have your life, and now you want your freedom as well!?" Namatame was more than disgusting.

Chie wasn't any happier. " It's your fault that Nanako's gone. "

"...I didn't...I-"

_Click._

"...Guys, the T.v just turned on." Rise looked at the group dumbfounded. "The time, it's 12am right now... Is that the midnight channel..? But why is it still on..? "

**I failed to save her, it's because you got in my way.**

" Another Namatame..? "

How could that be possible? Why was Namatame on the T.v? He knew it was definitely him, he could see him clearly. But they defeated his shadow when they rescued- when they tried to rescue Nanako. He still remembered the strange shadow that appeared before them in Nanako's Heaven. It was hard fight no doubt but he was certain that they were able to get rid of it so it shouldn't have been there.

" How? We have the real Namatame right here, and we already beat his shadow, didn't we? "

" ...No, not quite... " Yosuke heard Naoto say from behind him. "Come to think of it, Namatame never faced his other self, did he? And we never witnessed his shadow returning to his body as a persona either... Perhaps this could be why we're seeing this now. "

**I failed, but it was not my fault.**

Namatame's eyes were wide with fear. "...What the... What is...that..?"

**And the law can't touch me anyway...**

"...what? "

Chie looked over at Namatame with discust. "Is this what he's really thiking!? Then...that means he wasn't deranged or anything, he knew what he was doing!"

Was what Chie said really true? This guy wasn't possessed or forced to do anything, or even had some other logical reason? And to top it all off he found it funny that he was going to get away with it!? This guy really thought he was invincible, disgusting.

" To hell with the law, I won't forgive you for what you did! " Yosuke was beyond angry.

The other man slowly lowered his head and clutched it with both of his hands. "T-This... Please, Stop..."

Kanji could barely just contain his laughter. "Huh, Stop what!? We haven't even done anything yet.. Or do you want us to do something? Something fitting for a bastard like you?"

"... N-No... "

**Do what ever you want. You hate be because the child died, don't you? I don't care, living or dying makes no difference to me.**

**But you, you're different. *chuckle* You can 't do such a thing. You wouldn't dare, right? I'll continue 'saving' people... It's my mission!**

" Misssion..? " Yukiko didn't know what to think. Was this guy really serious?

Naoto barely managed to stutter out a response as well, he was completely messed up. "My God..."

Kanji clenched his fists tighter. "We can't just let this bastard do as he likes!" 

"Still what should we do?"

Yosuke thought for a minute before thinking about what Kqnji said."No way am I letting this guy just walk away like that!"

Naoto looked around the hospital room. It was fairly big inside. Way bigger than Nanako's room, way nicer too. This guy must get a lot of special treatment for his wounds too, no one to share the room or doctors with. "This must be a luxury suite. Most hospital wards don't have such large T.v's such as this one... Why, with something like this i his room he could escape at any time. Although... Once he enters, he might not find a way out. "

Rise's eyes shot open and stared at Naoto. "...Wait!? You do mean..., Are you serious!?"

Kanji moved closer to Rise. " you just gonna turn our back and walk away? "

"... But that's..! "

"What has gotten into you guys!?" Chie shook her head in disagreement. "This is crazy! How can we do something like that!?"

Yosuke couldn't believe what he was hearing, Chie is just going to let him go unpunished? Why would she say that!? This guy clearly said that once he gets out he's going to start killing people again. Yosuke had lost too many friends to just let that happen. Why would she go soft over a physio like that!? He knew just as well that she wants to make him suffer, she's said so herself before!

" Chie, Everyone! Listen to me. If were going to to this, then now is our only chance, there won't be a 'next time'! At this rate he's just gonna get off the hook... and then what!? He's just going to go around 'saving' people! You just heard what this bastard just been thinking about! I just can't let that go..! " 

Chie was shocked that they was actually serious about the idea. "B-But...Yosuke-"

"Look, all we have to do is push him inside the T.v... That's it. We just do that one thing and it's all over. "

"Just..push him inside?"

Yosuke had a point, but it was till bad. A very bad thing to do. If they did that they would be no different from Namatame. But on the other hand... Namatame could just kill again. If that happened then they'll be just as responsible for their deaths.They promised to stop the killer not let him lose. Was it really the right thing to do?

"If any of you want no part in this, just leave the room. I'm not going to force you to stay here if you don't want to. As for me, nothing is gonna make me forgive this bastard... But I guess if we're gonna do this we have to vote. Remember there is no turning back."

The group had to think hard about what they were going to do next. If they let him go he might attack again, and on the other hand they would become murderers themselves if they agreed...

Kanji was the first to break the ice. "I think we should do it."

"I..." Chie said with a barely audible voice which Yosuke almost missed if it weren't for the almost silenceness of the room. "...also agree. I know that this is going to cause me a lor of guilt in the future but I... I can't handle the guilt of more people dying, I just can't. "

Yukiko seemed suprised by Chie's answer after her response to Yosuke. "If that's what you want Chie then I also agree."

Naoto slowly shook her head. " I agree so too. This is the T.v world after all, who would believe the truth if told them about it. Weve already tried so hard there really isn't much we can do as long as the law stands in place. We'll never have any solid proof this man is the killer. We already heard that once he's free he's going to plan on targeting someone, we cant just keep going back into the T.v world to pull them back out. "

"But he's still a living person, we cant just kill someone!" Rise said in disagreement, she really didn't want to kill anyone, ever. She stared at them.for several moments before sighing. "B-But I also know that I can't change your minds once you have you minds set on something. Besides nothing I can say or do can stop you now. I guess I have to go along with it then... But just so you know I don't agree with it. I don't think that's what they would have wanted. "

They were really going do it. They were going to end it all. Once Nametame was gone they could finally move on from the case and with their lives. No more worries, no more murders or people to recuse. They'd all go back to their normal school lives and live to be normal working adults.

Yosuke forcefully grabbed Namatame off the floor and pulled him over to the T.v hard. He slowly pushed Namatame further back until his head was partly through the T.v screen. Yosuke ignored his cowardice screams and desperate pleas and shoved him further back.

...A normal life. Was that even possible for them after all that has happened? Would they be able to forget evething? The murders, the late night shadow fighting... He still remembered when this all began, Saki and the news lady dying and him and Yu went into the T.v for the second time while Chie waited for them outside. They met Teddie in there and that's when they promised to save Teddie's world from the fog find the truth together-

.

.

.

Was this really the truth? Was this the truth they had set out to find? However, something still felt empty, even when Namatame was gone would that emptiness still be there? The truth that Yu had dedicated his life to- Yu... What would he h ave done in this situation? 

He would have said to keep calm and don't do believe only the things that appear before you. Always look at all the possible sides and make sure you have all the facts and evidence before you come to a decision. Now that Yosuke thught about it he hadn't really considered Nqmaame's side at all. He didn't even know why he had even killed all those people. But his shadow did say that he would continue, that he would keep killing people. It was on the midnight channel, it had to be true-

How does he know that though? How does he lnow it's true? They had no proof of that. Maybe the midnight channel was lying, who knoww? Yu always told him to think of all possibilities before acting,if only though he was still here to make the -

Yu didn't show up on the midnight channel. How could he forget about that? He should have been on there. His body was found on the wires so he must have died inside the T.v. He wasnt there willingly, Yosuke knew this. He wasn't the sort of person to go there alone without them, and if he were to he would have told them. Could he even trust the midnight channel anymore? If it had failed to show his best friend what's not to say it working okay now.

.

.

.

He couldn't do it. No matter how angry he was he couldn't push him in. It went against everything they ever believed in. Justice, they couldn't call it justice when they knew so little. this is not what they would have wanted, what he would have wanted. He also couldn't live a life without ever knowing what happened, why he killed all those people why it had been them. Yosuke slowly eased his grip on Namatame and let the man fall back to the floor. 

Yosuke could he Kanji's annoyance. "Hey, what the hell! Why did you let him go!" 

"I can't kill him..."

" Fine then! I'll do it myself th-"

"That's not what I meant kanji, I mean we can't kill him."

This time Kanji gripped a hold of Yosuke's shirt. "Can't kill him? Can kill him!? He's a worthless, cruel-hearted killer with no emotions what so ever. He killed his own lover, he killed Saki and Yu, he even killed an innocent seven year old girl who could even defend herself! And NOW your hesitating!? Didn't you just tell us to kill him! Make up your fucking mind already! Have you forgotten that those guards outside could come back at any second!?"

Yosuke tried to push his hand away but it stayed firmly in place. "I know what I just said but we can't. There's... something missing... "

"Like what exactly!?"

He really didn't know for certain, but... He was definitely sure something was not right about this. And it definitely wasn't the guilt of killing someone else settling in. It's just the fact in reality he really wanted to know why it had been them. What motivated him to kill and why had it taken so long to find him. But what really bugged Yosuke the most is why the T.v? Out of everything he chose to use the T.v as a way to kill people. How did he manage to find out about the T.v world, the midnight channel was a well known rumour among town ,however, nobody ever take about entering the T.v. The only ones they know of who knew about that side and had gone inside were them, and that was only after Yu had let them in. Before they had accepted their shadows they could not enter by themselves. But they had clearly seen Namatame's shadow just now so it shouldn't have even been possible for him to push people in. 

"I'm... Not sure, but something's not right."

Kanji's hand tightened on Yosuke's shirt and pulled him closer to his own face. "Spit it out right now! Or are you stalling for time! we don't have time, either do it now or move out of the way!" Yosuke could hardly breathe. 

Yosuke could hear Rise's protesting behind him."hey! Stop kanji!, You're going to hurt him!" 

"She's right, your going to hurt him!" As Yosuke turned his head around he could see Yukiko beside Rise. "Were a team we shouldn't be fighting like this. We all need to take a deep breath and clear our minds right now. Were not in our right minds right now, it's clouded with too much anger. We shouldnt act on impulse!"

They hated to admit but right now all they could think about was getting revenge, they didn't care about what sort of consequences the would have created. They all took a deep breathe and tried to clear their minds.

"...Okay, fine. We'll do it your way then." kanji slowly let go of Yosuke's shirt. "So, what do you mean that we're missin' something?"

"What I mean is that we have heard almost nothing from his side, shouldn't we at least know why he did it? There's still so much we don't know. Sure this guy no doubly brought great harm to Nanako, but other than that most of our assumptions are based on what we just saw on the midnight channel a moment ago. But how can we trust the midnight channel though, we almost know nothing about it. What if it's wrong, what if it can mess up sometimes? Remember, we never saw Yu on there did we? Why was that?"

" ...Yeah, but even the T.v is some how wrong Namatame is still guilty. " kanji glanced over at the older man currently cowering near the floor. "Why hasn't he even said anything!? If he was innocent he would have already tried to defend himself!"

Naoto moved closer to Kanji so she could talk to him easier. "Failing to understand and failing to listen are two different things. Truthfully not all the hitches that were nagging me have been answered yet. We have to see what Namatame can tell us about them... Though it appears he is in no condition to do so right now." 

Kanji did a deep sigh. "... I guess, but just so you remember I'm still going to do all I can to stop him from repeating what he's done. I suppose we'd be lying to ourselves if we said this was the end. Alright, you got me convinced... So what do we do now then?"

" We should leave him for the time being so he can come back to his senses. Until then we shall have to wait for his recovery. We shouldn't need to worry too much though about leaving him He is current being monitored by the police so it would be difficult for him to escape."

"Yeah, I guess we shou-"

"What are you kids doing here!?" Startled they all turned around and was met with the sight of Adachi stood by the doorway. He didn't look very impressed, and he was definitely missing his usually cheery atmosphere. "You can't be in here! "

Crap.

They all tried to come up with an excuse but after a while Naoto was the first to answer. "...W-We were keeping an eye on the suspect. The police officers outside seemed to have their hands full with helping Dojima-san. If Namatame were to escape it would ruin the police's reputation... And their trust in you Adachi-san."

"O-oh...I see. We'll tighten the security from now on, and I'll arrange for him to be transported out of Inaba as soon as possible. "Adachi seemed a little hesitant before replying again. "So... If you guys can keep quiet about being in here, I'd really appreciate it."

The doctor soon followed sit and walked into the room with Adachi. He went up to Namatame and led him back to his bed.

" How is he doctor? He seemed really agitated a moment ago. " Naoto said trying to quickly change the subject.

"He seems fine for now, but I suggest he needs to get some much needed rest." The doctor turned around and looked at the group. "Okay , everyone outside. Doctor's orders. That includes you too detective." 

"...Understood."

Yosuke nodded his head in agreement as well. "Yeah, we should be going back anyway. Come on, let's go."


	16. Chapter 16

"So, why do you think he did it then?"

After the group had left Natatame's room they went to stand the edge of the corridor. After Kanji's outburst and the near murder of the delivery guy they thought it was best to discuss their next plans since killing Namatame was no longer an option.

"Yeah, that has been bugging me for quite some time, why did he kill all those people?" Yukiko asked curiously.

Chie looked at her as if Yukiko grew a second head. "Urrrm... You do remember that he killed them so that he could 'save' them, right? He even said so himself. He must have killed his lover in order to save her and kept on going."

Naoto looked away from the door that she was gazing at and turned to Chie. "The police station speculated about that the first murder to the affair, and so the they brought Namatame in for questioning. But everything thing in his testimony and his bearing, no matter what they looked at they couldn't find anything suspicious. If he truly is twisted enough to believe that murder is a means of saving people I think that would have shone through."

"Maybe he hid it really well. Or maybe he started off with a normal motive and got a taste of killing after the first time. " 

Naoto shook her head. "No... If that were the case, his motive for killing that announcer would be even more inexplicable. Namatame and his wife were separated at that time. Both Misuzu Hiiragi and himself testified that she had discarded him. Hiiragi knew about Yamano beforehand, and Namatame was shocked to hear about her death. Their relationship was known, and was not strained to the point of murder there's simply no motive in the affair angle. The police invested a great deal of effort in investigating this area. Therefore, we have no convincing motive for Namatame to kill Mayumi Yamano..." 

Chie had to think for awhile before she could reply. "...his reason for killing her... Maybe it's still possible that he was crazy to begin with and no one realised..?"

Kanji sighed. "Urrr... This is all so confusing, I don't even know what to think anymore."

" Mmmm... I agree it's all a little confusing, but I'm sure when Namatame comes round we can-"

"There you are, we've been looking for you!" It was the familiar nurse stood at the other end of the corridor who they had seen earlier and she seemed to be panting slightly, she must have been running.

"Please come with me immediately!" 

" Huh..? What's going on-" Before she could even finish her question the nurse had already went around the corner.

"We'd better follow her then, Chie."

\-------++++-------++++-------++++-------++++

" Where...am I..? "

He looked around and could see nothing but a thick white fog. No matter where he looked he couldn't see anything. Nobody was there either, he was alone.

"..Is this... Teddie's world?" He looked around again this time more confused, but still he couldn't see anything.

"This place doesn't quite feel like it though..."

How did he get here? He couldn't really remember. "...The hospital... I remember being at the hospital... That's right, Nana-chan..."

His heart sunk. He wish he'd never remember that. The time at the hospital, in her room. Her small hand in between his, and how he could never hold that small soft hand never again.

"I.. I couldn't do anything."

He sighed sadly and lowered his gaze towards the ground. "Why do I even exist?... I couldn't even keep my promise... I lost my reason to be there..."

That's it. Teddie remembered everything now.

So it was true...

He really was a nobody.

What was he supposed to do now..?

\-------++++-------++++-------++++-------++++

" Oh! There you are, Nanako came around. "

Huh!?

They all shouted in unison. " What!? " 

"What- how..? No, what do you mean, doctor?" Rise looked at the doctor in front of Nanako-chan's bed dumbfounded. "Is she really alive!?"

The doctor had a serious expression on his face. "It is very rare to be resuscitated after one's hear and lungs fail, but it is still possible. But until we know why she collapsed in the first place, I can't say for sure how well she'll recover after this from here on... 

Still, Nakako-chan's a fighter, and she's doing all she can to stay alive."

" ...So, this isn't a joke? You're actually telling the truth!? Oh my god! I...I..."

"Haha..." Kanji couldn't help but laugh in almost disbelief. "This is fucking amazing..."

Rise started to sob even more, this time the tears were of relief. She could hardly contain herself and let some of her tears fall to the white floors beneath her. "I-I didn't know what I was going to do! If she really had- If she was gone..."

Rise's words also started to make Yukiko sniffle along with her. 

"C'mon, stop you guys... Your going to set me off too... " Chie started to feel her eyes dampening before she quickly wiped at them with her own sleeve.

In the end they didn't know what to feel. On one hand they were were so glad that Nana-chan came round, but on the other Namatame was able to live freely for another day. So much has happened to them today.

"You should leave for now, kids. We need to give her more chance to rest. She's still in a very sensitive state and we need to disturb her as little as we can."

As much as they wanted to stay longer they knew they had no room to argue against the doctor. They didn't want to jeopardise Nanako's new chance of survival. 

"Be careful when you get outside kids, it's gotten a bit chilly after you've gotten here. The last thing we need right now is for you to get sick."

As they were about to leave Yosuke released something he didn't notice before they came in. "Guys, Where's Teddie? I haven't seen him since before we went into Namatame's room."

"Yeah, I was kind of wondering that too. I just sorta thought that he didn't want to move from Nakako's side. Chie said from the side of him. "But he's not in here. I wonder were he's gone."

"...yeah... I guess he stayed behind and left after a little while. We were in Namatame's room for quite a while. He's probably just back at the house."

\------++++-------++++-------++++-------++++

Just like usual Yosuke finds himself in a familiar blue vehicle on a seemingly endless journey though a thick dark fog. However, the more that Yosuke thought about it, he doesn't ever remember falling asleep. 

"Welcome. It's been quite some time hasn't it..? 

Igor chuckled lightly seeming to know what Yosuke was thinking at that exact moment. "Do not be alarmed. You're simply day dreaming in your world, you are perfectly safe.

" Now then, this journey of yours has taken you quite far. But you still have quite a long distance to go. I want to ask if you still believe you think you have what it takes to solve this mystery, after all this task had been placed on you quite suddenly. 

Did Yosuke really believe he could solve the case and stop the murder? Of course he did. Why wouldn't he after all he's done? Why would he need to summon him just to ask him that?

"I did have another reason why I summoned you here you know." A small smile appeared at the corners of his his thin lips. "I actually summoned you here to congratulate you. You decided to seek the truth rather than act in the heat of the moment for revenge for those who have fallen to the hand of the culprit. For that I admire you."

At the side of the old man Margaret closed the large book in her hands and smiled at him.

"I hope you continue to seek the truth until the very end. For now though fair well.

I wish you the best of luck."


	17. Chapter 17

Yosuke did nothing but sleep today. He hurt too much right now. It wasn't like there was anything else better to do. But this was different this time, not like when he lost Yu, or even Saki-Senpai. It wasn't like he didn't care about Nanako, in fact it was the other way around. He cared so much for that small girl. She was so kind and cheerful, and even though she had to endure so much she was incredibly strong for such a young age. And she was still alive, but barely so, just because the doctors were able to resuscitate her almost half and hour later after both her heart and lungs failed didn't mean she's fine now... If her body failed before there's nothing to stop it from happening again...

He learned that no matter how much mopping about it wouldn't solve anything, it would only just delay things further. As long as Namatame got away with murder he couldn't rest. He couldn't just let more people get hurt. Yosuke knew that pain all to well.

It was late evening now and Yosuke went down stairs in search for something to eat. It was really quiet around the house and although his parents weren't home yet they were supposed to return later, leaving him and Teddie alone.

Teddie. He hasn't seen that bear in a while. After all he had spent most of the day in his room, the two of them exchanged a few simple words to each other before they left the hospital but other than that Teddie had remained rather quiet, Teddie also didn't come back with them, he just assumed he'd come back later. He didn't blame him for feeling that way. Teddie was one of the closest to her in the whole group. he had also witnessed her almost dying.If he had seen that he was absolutely sure he would have completely broken down at the spot. He never noticed how strong Teddie was. He was even the one who tried the hardest to pull him through when he had lost one of his best friends.

It didn't matter where he looked he couldn't find him anywhere. Did Teddie really leave the house? But where would he have gone? What does Teddie normally do besides working at June's and fighting shadows. Now that he thought about he really didn't know much about him as he thought. Where was he supposed to look anyway?

Yosuke thought for awhile, maybe he could ask his friends? They should have some idea where he could have gone. Yosuke reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone, before looking at his contacts. 

No battery, figures. Yosuke had been at the hospital a lot recently and hadn't been able to charge his phone. What if he just went to one of their houses instead. But would they be up though? As he tried to think he thought about Naoto. She always stayed up rather late some days, and didn't she say she'd help him whenever, she wouldn't mind if he went to her apartment, right?

It wasn't a long walk over to her apartment complex from his house. It felt really weird to walk around town at this hour though. Nobody seemed to be around and if it wasn't from the occasional cat screeches he would have thought that he'd gone deaf. People didn't go out anymore unless necessary due to the increasing thick fog. 

He knocked on her door and almost it almost instantly opened as he removed his fist from the door.

"Hmmm? Yosuke, what brings you here? I don't normally see you around here, is there anything I can help you with?" She was wearing a pale blue T-shirt and shorts he'd never seen on her before. Despite the late time she still looked fairly presentable, unlike himself who had just grabbed the first few things he saw hanging out from his wardrobe after discovering Teddie hqd vanished.

"Teddie's missing! I've looked all over for him at home and I can't find him, I don't think that he came home last night. You don't think he went back do you!?"

" I see... I'll call the others, for the mean time try to think of any possible places he could have gone. We don't know if he went back or not. I can only hope he hasn't already done so."

\-------++++-------++++-------++++-------++++

They all met at June 's the next day. It was too dark for them to start searching last night and so they decided to start looking tomorrow. It was now midday and everyone was getting tired looking for Teddie.

"It's no use man, we can't find him."

"No luck for me either... I didn't sense anything over there. The fog's so dense, it's affecting my readings. I wish I could do better, I'm sorry." 

Rise and Kanji went inside the T.v to try and look for him, while the others went to look around. They had all spent hours searching and none of them could find him.

"That Ted, don't tell me he really went back to his world this time. We told him over and over that he could stay here."

"You know..." Yosuke said after a while breaking the silence between them. " He plays dumb a lot, but he's attached to us deep down... He wouldn't disappear without saying anything, right? "

"I agree." Naoto said from across the table . "I'm worried about Teddie for myself, but let's just trust him and await for his return. Right now though, we must concentrate on the case. It won't be long until Namatame gets transferred to another location. We must hurry, or else we will miss out on our only chance to get his perspective on this." 

Chie looked at Naoto slightly confused. "I've been thinking about this case since then, but somethings just doesn't add up right."

"Mmm, you're right I have been thinking about certain things as well. Let's review the facts. Of all the victims only three were actually killed: Ms Yamano, Saki-San and Narukami. From documents we found in the vehicle, we know that Namatame had some sort of dealings with them due to his delivery business. After that, there were multiple attempted murders, in which they were targeted. It was only then when he took Nanako-chan that we caught him in the act.

Kanji muttered something from behind her. "When I hear you put it like that, it sounds like the guy is pretty guilty."

"As a result from Namatame's arrest, the police admitted that Mitsuo Kubo was a mere copycat killer unrelated to the other killings. "

Again, Yosuke had this strange feeling of something not being quite right. He also thought a little back when he was summoned to the velvet room. They congratulated him after he stopped himself from killing Namatame. It was almost like there conclusions weren't quite accurate. Maybe he wasn't as guilty as he first thought. "Back up a little guys, remember when you said he had no motive to kill the announcer? That's what's bothering me. "

"Right... Either he's completely nuts, or we're misunderstanding something..." Rise said almost too quietly for Yosuke to hear since she was the furthest away from him.

Kanji appeared to become frustrated. "...You lost me."

" She's trying to say that if Namatame was completely sane, then there may be facts in the case that we don't know about yet. Yukiko replied.

"Mm, that's right, Yukiko. Sane or insane... Reminds of a play I once saw before."

Kanji seemed to kind of understand what she was saying. "When he talks about 'saving' people, what do you really think he means? I don't think that there's any doubt in includes kidnapping people and throwing them into the T.v." 

They all thought for a long time before Naoto came up with a suggestion. "Could he mean... Saving them though death..? He did call himself a 'saviour' and he said that the other other side is a wonderful world."

Kanji scoffed at Noato's suggestion. "So they'll be saved if they die? What a bunch of crap... That bastard shoulda gone and 'saved' himself. What do you think Yosuke?" 

"...urrm, I don't really know what to think right now." Yosuke honestly didn't like the idea of Namatame killing himself. If he was in fact the killer, then they would lose their only chance of revenge.

Kanji sighed in annoyance, he was hoping that he would agree with him. "If you think about it normally, it's gotta be him. But there ain't nothin' normal about that world anyway."

" Urrm, actually Kanji... " Yukiko shifted in her chair as if she was trying to say something. "There's something I've been wondering for while now. When we first encountered him, he said... 'Your the ones who I saved, don't worry I'll save this girl too...

So um... If he save people by killing them, did he save us too? Wouldn't that actually mean he failed to save us instead..?"

.

.

.

"Your righe a good point, Yukiko." Naoto said as she contemplated what the dark haired girl told them. "If he thinks that salvation only comes though death, then his words don't make sense. And another thing, the Namatame who appeared on the midnight channel said he had failed to save Nanako-chan. "

"But Namatame doesn't know if she had died or not. Since we stopped him he would obviously say he failed, right?"

"Well..." Chie said as she started to think about an answer to explain things. Maybe he was trying to save the victims by putting them inside the T.v. " 

Huh?

"C-cmon, don't all get quiet like that, you're starting to creep me out... You guys know I just say the first dumb thing that comes into my head...haha..."

" Well, the possibility that he truly intended to save us-

Kanji became agitated again. "But he's still killed three people though, right!? She we haven't nailed down him motives, but that still doesn't change the fact that he's a murder! Or what!? You think someone else was involved!? What makes you think so!?" 

Yosuke started to think about that suggestion. He'd never thought about the idea of someone else being involved since they apprehended Namatame. Could there be something that could prove that possibility? They really didn't have much evidence to go on, especially since the weird nature of the case. The only sort of evidence they'd ever gotten was-

"The warning letters. "

"Huh?... Warning letter...?" Chie asked slightly puzzled before she finally remembered what Yosuke was talking about. "Oh yeah, what ever happened to those?"

"If Namatame's the killer, then he must be the one who wrote them." Rise stated as she came to a conclusion. 

"Let's review them then." Naoto said as she got her phone out.

Yosuke started to recall the first warning letter that had been sent to Yu. The first letter told him 'don't rescue anymore'. The second one stated 'If you don't stop this time, then someone will be put in and killed'.

"Isn't it a little odd..." Rise said as she started to connect the links together. "Would someone who thinks he's saving people by killing them write stuff like 'don't rescue ' or 'kill'?"

Even Kanji started to agree as well, it really was strange. "Yeah, and the 'l be put in and killed' doesn't make sense either... If the killer was writing it wouldn't it be more like 'I'll put in and kill'? Hey... Couldn't this mean that..."

"Namatame didn't write it." Yosuke said bluntly.

"Yeah." Chie said as she started to nod her head. "It's almost like... Someone else wrote that letter..."

Yukiko seemed to catch onto the idea that Chie was suggesting to them. "But only the killer would write such a letter and deliver it to Dojima-san's house, right? If someone else wrote it, that could only mean-"

"Dear god!" Naoto said in complete shock. "Since this was such an unusual case, I was absolutely convinced than other than the Kubo incident that there was only one culprit... 

Rise's eyes went wide. "So Namatame was trying to save the victims!? "

"Everything is exactly the opposite of what it first seemed... In Namatame's parlance, 'failing' would have also been the first three cases... Went the victims died. If he had used his method twice, amd failed both times he would have hardly use the T.v again... And yet he did. It all seems to suggest that someone else wrote this warning letter while observing the entire case while watching from afar. "

Kanji looked at Naoto dumbfounded. "So then... He didn't kill the annoncer, Saki and Yu!?"

"We can't say for certain yet. We need to talk to Namatame face to face urgently. " 

"How though? " kanji said as he folded his arms together. "After what happened, they said that they would tighten up security."

"I have a plan. But there's no time to waste. Let's hurry back to the hospital, quickly!"

\-------++++-------++++-------++++-------++++

"Hey! This place is off-limits!"

" I'm a consultant with the police. " Naoto lied. "I'd like a few words with Namatame-san, may I go in? "

The guard seemed to raise an eyebrow after examining the short girl. "Do you mind wait for a bit please. This is unit 252 requesting a confirmation on an ID. Naoto Shirogane... huh? Ah, I see. Understood." The guard lowered his hands on his communication device.

"It seems that you are on the list. I can give you a few minutes, but I'll have to record your conversation with him for security purposes. Not that I expect you to get anything coherent out of that guy. He's been spouting nothing but gibberish."

Nato looked over at Yosuke who was the only person who was stood beside her. "I'd like him to accompany me as well. He has no identification, but this is an emergen situation and he's here in detective Dojima place instead."

The officer seemed puzzled. "Huh? Detective Dojima sent him? I wasn't informed of this..."

" I'll account for his identity. "

The guard seemed to contemplate the information Naoto had just given him. "Well... I guess it's better than dealing with the man myself... We have our hands full with the transport procedures, so the last thing we need is to deal with detective Dojima running wild. Detective Adachi seems busy somewhere too-

-This is unit 252, huh, I see."

"Huh? Has something happened sir?"

The man start to scratch the back of his neck. "Hmm? Oh yeah, something about a suspicious object out in the lobby..." 

"Well then, this works out nicely. " The blue haired girl couldn't help but let out a small smile. "You should back up your colleagues downstairs. We'll keep watch of Namatame-san. A disturbance in the lobby... That sounds serious. "

The man thought about it for a while before finally agreeing. "If anything happens use the nurse call button. I'll leave the rest to you."

"Undersood. Please be careful."

" I will, thank you ma'am. " The older man looked over at the door once more and then to Naoto and Yosuke before he walked hastily down the corridor towards the direction of the stairs.

"Naoto started to chuckle softly as soon as the officer was our of her sight. "I knew they were undermanned, but I didn't expect it to go this smothly-

"Wow..!" Chie said in pure excitement and thrill.

Just then the rest of the group came running up to Naoto and Yosuke. "There's nothing much 'suspicious' inside that suspicious object, haha... But that also means he won't be gone for long. "

Yosuke nodded, he knew that as soon as they inspect the object that guard will come straight back. They didn't have much time for when that would happen. "Alright, now's our chance to talk to Namatame, c'mon let's go!"

\-------++++-------++++-------++++-------++++

The light was on this time as they went into his room. Namatame was sat upright in his bed and was staring at one of the wall on the other side of the door were the window was so they could only see the back of his head. The window of his room was currently closed with the curtains draw closed. As they entered he didn't seem to react. 

Naoto and Yosuke walked up to his bed soon followed by the others. Naoto looked over at Yosuke if she was asking permission before he finally nodded at her.

" Namatame. There's something I'd like to ask you. "

"..."

"It's tempting to think that you are the culprit behind the entire case. And to be honest... There are many people in town hoping that you are. But we are here to learn the truth. So please... Answer our questions. 

Namatame finally turned his head. It almost seemed as if he knew what she was saying. 

" ... "

Yosuke tried to think of what to say. What should he even ask? He's starting to wish that he should of spent more time rehearsing, but then again they didn't have a lot of time.

" Is 'saving killing people?" Okay Yosuke that was a terrible question, but now he just had to role with it.

Namatame stared at him for a while before shaking his head. "No... If nobody saves them then... they'd be killed. That's why... I put them in there..."

Okay, time for him to ask another question.

" Did you kill those three people? "

Again he shook his head. "They were killed... I couldn't save them. "

"Who did you throw in first?"

Namatame didn't say anything, instead he rased his weakened hand and pointed his finger at Yukiko.

Yukiko took a step back. "Huh!? who, me!? "

Namatame nodded his head.

" ...! "

"Then tell me then if my estimations are correct so far." Yosuke heard Naoto say. "After discovering the Yamano and Konishi incidents, you realised that an appearance on the Midnight Channel meant certain death. Thus, to save Yukiko from her fate, you kidnapped her. You couldn't let her be killed, so you threw her into the T.v in the hopes of preventing the killer from getting a hold her. And you repeated the process as more and more people made an appearance on the Midnight Channel. "

"..Yes, that's right."

"Then all falls into place. His body is weak, but his mind is sound... He's trying to tell us the truth."

Rise began to feel puzzled. "If what he's saying is true then doesn't that mean that there is another killer who killed the first two victims..?"

" Mm, that does make the most logical sense. " Naoto turned back around to face Namatame. "Indulge us in a few more questions. So why was it that you entered the T.v?"

Namatame began to appear slightly anxious. "I didn't know... I never thought... it would be that kind of place..."

" So who killed the first two? "

"I have no idea... I want to find that out as well." Namatame looked down at his lap. 

"Why the warning letters?"

"Huh? What are you guys talking about..?" A confused look grew visibly across his face. 

Naoto frowned. "Just as I thought."

Namatame looked upwards to face her. "You... Believe me..?" He shot up in a straight position in his bed startlingly the rest of the group apart from Naoto. "D-Did they find him!? Did they find the one who's being doing all of these cruel things!? ...Mayumi..."

Naoto tried her best to calm him down. "Please calm down Namatame. Our ability to find them lies solely on you... We know about the other side. If fact, we are the only ones who can fully understand what you have to say."

" Only...you..? "

Yosuke nodded. "We did blame you for everything at first. But now, I think we can accept anything you say now as the truth. Please, tell us everthing, as calmly and slowly as you can. " 

Namatame appeared to be happy. "You're... Willing to listen to my story?"

This time they all nodded at him.

"Hmmm, very well then. I'll tell you everything I know.

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.

.

Soon after my affair with Mayumi became common knowledge I returned to my parent's home, as if to run away from the scandal... And I started drinking heavily to drown my anxieties. I hadn't been able to reach Mayumi at all, so that didn't didn't help, either.

She had been disregarded by all of the afternoon shows, ad she had even been forced to resign the programme she is usually on. I Had caused her so much trouble... I wanted to at least apologise... But I couldn't even do that. 

I lost the will and energy to do anything...

Then one day, I remembered a rumour I heard some time ago came back to me. Since I had nothing else better to do, I sat down blankly in front of the T.v and watched my own reflection. 

... And all of a sudden there was Mayumi.

This Mayumi seemed to be calling me for help. I ran towards the T.v as fast as I could as I shouted her name over and over. When I reached out unthinkingly to touch her... My arm disappeared into the T.v... As if I had dipped it into a pool of water. 

I was so shocked that I lost my balance and I nearly fell faced-first the T.v itself. I was so scared... I couldn't think of what had just happened. I thought I had finally gone insane. In the end, I decided to dismiss it as a dream, and I went back to the city the next day after finishing work. The next day as soon as I got to work I was fired on the sot, but that was to be expected. They didn't want me to ruin their image. 

That's not what broke me though... " Namatame started to shift around fearfully and almost as if he was physically injured. "... It was Mayumi being found dead. And not just that, it had taken place in my hometown. Inaba had been the only where I truly felt safe, I had grown so used to this place and no one I ever knew would bring harm to someone here, or at least I thought I did. I had lost my sense of security and I could no longer trust anyone.

I felt so defeated. But after a while I remembered Mayumi's face on the T.v that night. Was it really a dream or was it her way of warning me?

I hadn't touched a T.v since then, because of the immense fear I had gained that night. But when I thought about the fact that what I had seen may have been a message to me, I decided to try it again...

...And I was able to confirm it wasn't a dream."

" And eventually you learned of the Midnight Channel. " Kanji interrupted him.

"I remembered that when Mayumi was alive, she was chasing some rumour about a bizarre T.v programme. I heard about it before, but I just thought it was some urban legend. But then she appeared on it and ended up dead. The more I thought about it, the harder it was to believe the two events were unrelated. Soon after that, I later returned to Inaba for questioning. I'd lost my job, and I wanted to know about the truth of Mayumi's death for myself.

Then, on the next rainy night someone else appeared on the Midnight Channel, it was a high school girl. She looked as if she was calling for help just like Mayumi. The first thing that came into my mind was 'Maybe this girl was going to die next.'"

"And that was Saki-senpai, wasn't it?"

"I'd been following the updates on Mayumi's case and I knew straight away the girl was the one who had found the body. And if my hunch was right, then she'd be the next victim. I didn't want her to die the same way Mayumi had, So I desperately kept watching... I was consumed with the idea of rescuing her. Then... little by little her image on the screen became clearer in focus. "

Chie was curious and partly confused. "Became clearer in focus? How did you find out it was her?"

" After I came back home my father couldn't bear to see me in such low spirits, so he offered me a job with the family's business. I met that girl when I was delivering a package to her parents liquor store.After agonising over it, I decided to meet her... And told her to be careful. But she seemed very uncomfortable near me and left. That same night, on the T.v... She looked like she was being engulfed by some black shape.. She was withering in pain...

I tried to call the liquor store but nobody would answer the phone... The next day they had found her dead. I knew she was going to be murdered, so why didn't I do more to save her?

.

.

.

You know... There was no one who depended on me. Nobody at work... Especially not my wife. Mayumi was the only one who accepted me for who I was. But she was gone, and so was that girl... I just couldn't forgive myself doing nothing! "

Chie felt her heart ache for him, She no longer felt that he was a cruel heartless being. "So you really did love Ms Yamano.."

"Yes, from the very bottom of my heart. Before I was married my wife made it big in show business. I was happy for her, but it put a strain on our relationship..." 

Rise understood how Namatame felt. "... I can relate..."

"It was around the time when I met Mayumi. She was interviewing our candidate for our next election. She was a big-name announcer, but she only worked with local stations, and her attitude was similar to mine. We both came from Inaba, so she was easy to talk to. I knew it was wrong, but I couldn't keep myself away from her. She... gave meaning to my life. 

Soon after Saki another girl appeared. So, I decided to save her.

My opponent was a murderer who left no clues towards his identity. I thought hard about what I could do to protect her from someone like that. But when I thought back to Saki I knew I had little chance of convincing her, and if she reported me and I get arrested, then who'd save her? And that's when it hit me... I had the power to put myself through the T.v, so why don't I put her inside it instead? The killer would never find her there. And I thought, no matter kind of place it might be, it's better than being slaughtered. 

Once things have calmed down a little, I'd let her out again. It felt like everything was coming together in my mind. I thought maybe could it be that Mayumi had given me the power to prevent other people from falling into her same destined fate. I thought that it was my mission to save them.

But there was one problem. If I explained the situation to them the probably wouldn't understand, I already had tried and had failed miserably. It seemed the only way was to take them away myself. If it was my mission, then I'd just have to do it... Or so I thought. " 

Yukiko didn't know how to react at the new information she had just received. So that was the real reason why she had been captured along with her friends from the shadows after being suddenly thrown in? "So, since you thought people on the Midnight Channel would be killed, you kidnapped us in order to save us.."

Chie was angry and most certainly showed signs of annoyance. "Mission? Give me a break! Did you ever stop to wonder about any of this!?"

Namatame avoided eye contact and began to continue on with his story. I thought I was the only one who could save them, I did try calling the police but they didn't seem to believe me. I knew the area well, and with the large company truck I knew I could move about easily without much suspicion. I thought I would be best person to save them.

But... are you telling me that what I was doing wasn't saving them..?"

Naoto nodded. "If the person is still in the T.v world when the fog appears, they will die. Beginning with Yukiko-san, the people who you thought you had been saving were in fact put into greater danger instead. It had really been us you have saved them all."

The older man gave a knowing look. "I had a feeling that was it... When went after that little girl and had I entered the T.v myself for the first time. I started to have doubts about myself. The police were after me and I had to get away, but I still felt like I had to do something to protect that poor little girl. Tht's why I went in after her.

But it was completely different from what I imagined... It was such an abominable, grotesque place. I knew that the three of you who I 'saved' went back to your normal lives, so I didn't realise how terrible that world was. I never even knew you couldn't get back out of that place on your own. The one time I didn't put someone in, one of your friends died, so I was truly convinced that I had to put everyone in for protection... But I guess I was wrong. I guess that's why I went a little more extreme at trying to save Nanako."

"Failed to save Narukami I suspect..? Why did you fail to save him?" Naoto said intently.

Namatame gave an even more confused expression. "... I-I don't know, he just never showed up on my T.v screen, I can't explain why so I never knew he needed saving... I felt so horrible after he died, you know? Made me question if I should even bother carrying on anymore, but when I saw that small, innocent girl I knew I had to save her, no matter how hopeless it seemed."

" I see. So he was never in the T.v as a result of you pushing him?"

The older man shook his head. "No I never had contact with him around the time, although his family quite regularly used our services. I tried to help the ones who I knew ... But in the end I had just made things worse by doing the opposite, what a fool I am. I never doubted what I saw on the a T.v and only heard what I wanted to hear. I didn't think to myself at all, that's why they died. I'm too blame for all this..."

Yosuke had been so mad and hateful towards this man for a long time. But now after he heard Namatames words he could no longer find himself to blame him. " What's done is done, Namatame. You can't change the past. I really wish I could too you know." 

"I suppose so... But the things I have done are too serious to be just brushed aside like that. Kidnapping is a already a serious crime already. I'm prepared to face consequences, I don't intend to run away from it. I'm sorry..."

"The Midnight channel and the other world... can hardly be blamed for not understanding them." Yosuke still remembered the first time that he had entered as well. It was was so strange and new ro him, he too barely knew what would happen of someone showed up on the T. v. If he did he would have no doubtfuly gone ans and tried to save Saki senpai from the shadows. "We must apologise partly to you too. If we weren't so blinded by our emotions then we would have just piled all of the responsibility on you."

Kanji folled his arms together"...I guess from your point of view... People did top once you started saving them. The more you did it, the more you thought you were preventing deaths. "

"I'm such a joke.. Namatame casted his gaze downwards again and stared at his pnw hands. "...I'm sorry I'm kind of getting tired now, do you mind if -

" What are you doing gathered around in here!? " It was the guard, and ir appeared that he was out of breath, most likely from running. "

"My apologies, we'll be leaving now." Naoto seemed to have a paniced expressoion on her face, even as she tried to stick to her stoic appearance. 

Namatame seemed to read the situation and tried to talk to her. "Wait! I beg you... Please find out who's behind all of this. You're the only ones who know about that world. "

"Don't worry, that's our plan."

Naoto turned around from officer the other officer so he couldn't hear. "It's all clear now, he never committed any of the murders. It was another party member who is responsible we have to stop them."

The officer was getting annoyed now. "Namatame is just about ready to be transported, we can't have anything happening to him. Now get out of here!! I hope I never see you guys in here again! "

The officer was right. Maybe it was time for them to leave now.

After all, the real killer was still out there.


	18. Chapter 18

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.

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Urghhh...

His mind felt completely dizzy. He felt sick. He felt like he was going to be sick, and he did. He could barely roll over afterwards back on his back. Where was he..? What was he even doing here..? He could hardly think.

Ah. That kid, was he safe now? Who was that man? Why did he try taking that boy? Urgh, he couldn't stop asking himself questions. He couldn't explain why he felt so dizzy right now, he wasn't even a drinker and yet his head felt cloudy as if he was hungover.

He tried to sit himself up, but as soon as he did he felt the worst pain he could possibly imagine. He couldn't help but scream in pain. It hurt so bad. He reached over to hold his hand over the source of pain. 

His hand felt unusually wet.

He retrieved his hand and stared at his fingers in the dim light. It was covered in a deep red liquid. Crap. He was bleeding, why was there so much blood? He craned his neck slowly downwards to survey the damage. It was a nasty cut. When did he get that..?

Was it a shadow... Or was it from something else? ... He figured that however he got it he would probably get another one if he didn't start moving soon. As he looked down he could see that the front of his trousers were covered in a lot of blood as well as the floor. he could tell that it was not normal to lost that much blood. Out of fear he tugged at the bottom of his shirt and ripped it off and began to wrap it tightly around his waist. he braised himself and with the last of his energy he dragged himself to his feet. He was in so much agony that it took everything of him not to just cry then and there. 

As he scanned the area with his eyes he couldn't find anything. Absolutely nothing. It was just a white empty space. The only thing that wasn't white was the thick greyish fog that was partly blocking his view. He began to slowly walk around the best he could, which was just a small limp. After walking a few feet he slipped and his legs gave way. His face hit the floor one more and the pain grew worse. 

It was then when he tried to lift his head he saw a faint silhouette in the distance. As soon as he noticed the strange figure it seemed to acknowledge his presence and it began to walk away from him back into the fog. 

"Wait!! Stop, please! I need you to tell me where it am..! Don't go-

\-------++++-------++++-------++++-------++++

It was a bust. They were currently gathered at Aiya shoved on their small tables. They had decided to meet here after dinner hour where most diners had gone home so they could discuss their new findings. They had spent most of the day looking around for a fresh lead ever since they had ruled Namatame as their prime suspect in the case. So far they had nothing.

Chie sighed. "This really sucks... This would be so much easier if we had a badge to flash around, I walked around all day and nobody would tell me anything good... Thought I was being a bother to them."

"Same goes for me." Yukiko said disappointingly. "There was absolutely no talk about the case whatsoever, let alone this 'true' culprit. "

Rise felt the same disappointment they had. "In my case I kept getting bombarded with questions that I couldn't even answer, they weren't even remotely related." Rise lowered her gaze towards the floor as she observed an old stain on one of the tiles. "Who ever this killer is they must have been really good to have pulled this off without being seen by anyone in this small town, Seriously..."

So what now? They had absolutely no leads whatsoever, not even the smallest clue on where to look next. They had focused so much an Namatame that any traces that they left behind was probably long gone. They didn't even need to kill anyone for a while either. They had Namatame to do it for them, even if they weren't as successful as they had hoped. This first two murders were partly related since Saki was the one who found the body, but the third murder and all those other multiple kidnappings had nothing to do with each other. 

Yosuke slouched further into his seat. "What should we do now..?"

" I want to get a steak bowl, I'm kind of getting hungry right now! "

"Chie, that's not what I meant! And we've only just eaten! Ah, well... I guess we might as well stay a little longer. Nothing else left to do anyways. 

After Chie got a refill she started to chow down half of it straight away. "Well... we might as well share what we learnt today, even if it wasn't much."

They all went on to discuss their day and how their look around was a complete failure. It was annoying how little people were willing to talk to them. After all most of the attention went into complaining about the fog.

" So, to sum it up... There is no new information, the end? "

"The police had an unusually large number of officers working on the initial case of the first incidents, even Narukami had quite a few officials working on his case. To find facts would be quite difficult considering the amount of time that has passed. there wasn't a single report of a suspicious person being witnessed nearby at all." Naoto stated as she adjusted her hat.

Kanji folded his arms. "Y'know, every time I tried to ask about the case, they'd ignore me and kept ranting on about the stupid damn fog."

"Yeah, that or the midnight channel." Rise said in agreement. "I tried asking around again, but no one has heard from Teddie. Gess, I really wanna know what he's doing right now..."

So, um... Naoto do you have any new... deductions on the case..? " Yosuke quickly said to change the subject.

"Sorry, Yosuke. Without any new data to work with there isn't much I can do... But there must be someone who meets all the criteria for this case." Naoto placed her fingers on her chin. "The killer must have had a connection to both Yamano and Saki Konishi as well as Narukami, as well as being in a position to observe the case from a far. Finally, it must have been someone who could approach Senpai's house without arousing suspicion while they dropped off those warning letters..." 

Naoto shook her head as if in an attempt to refocus herself. "I need some fresh air before I give it more thought, I'll just be outside for a while. "

Yosuke also realised that him sitting there wasn't going to help him think well right at this point. He contemplated on going outside since it was cold and frosty out but he soon figured it was better than staying in this stuffy building.

As opened the door the first thing that hit him was the cold air. "Jesus it's freezing out here! ...huh? It's snowing..?" Yosuke looked up to the sky, it made him feel kind of saddened as he watched the snowflakes fall. "It's a real shame, don't you think Naoto? The fog's so thick, the snow just gets lost in it. "

"I suppose."

There must have been something that he was overlooking. Yosuke needed to solve the case soon. The clues that he needs must already be in his hands: Someone who had some sort of connection to the announcer lady, Saki Senpai and Yu... And judging from the warning letters they must have definitely known about the other side and what they had been doing there. They must have known about Namatame and stood back to watch him and knew about all of the kidnappings... 

Who would have been capable of doing that..? Another strange thing about the case was the lack of almost any witnesses. They were even able to sneak up to his friend's house and slipped in those threatening messages, and no one suspicious was seen around any of the victims or his house... They even had a large number of officers to track down the killer, but not even one managed to find anything at all..? Even Yu's own uncle couldn't find anything as well as his partner-

Adachi..? For some reason as soon as he thought about his name something didn't sit right with him. There was no way it was him anyway, that guy was complete idiot. That guy couldn't even do his job well without making tones of mistakes, not to mention he's always spouting out private information that was only for the police to... Know..?

Wait... 

If he was that bad at his job why would he still be on this case? They surely wouldn't give such a serious case to an incompetent rookie when a serious matter was at hand... Was it just an act..? 

Great, now Yosuke was becoming paranoid. He's sure that Adachi isn't some secretive evil scheming killer that just wasn't him... But what if..? Adachi would have definitely been able to keep an eye over the investigation team at all times if he needed to. He would also have been able to approach Yu's house with ease, and he knew the area very well. Now that Yosuke thought about it they had encountered him many times while they were investigating the case, in fact he always seemed to be around when anything major happened. 

What if his 'slip ups' weren't really 'slip ups' at all..? What if he had meant to give it to them to throw them of track? The more Yosuke thought about it the more he started to match the profile...

"Adachi."

" Hmm? "

Yosuke was fairly certain that it could have been him, so much was pointing at him. "Adachi, what if it had been him..."

Naoto didn't say anything for a while and just before he was about to repeat himself she cut him off. "Adachi, huh. A member of the police force... That is an interesting approach. It would explain that lack of witness reports. It could also be the same reason why no one has reported seeing Namatame's truck."

Yeah, Yosuke also thought that it was weird that no one had spotted a massive big bulky van at night on these tiny little roads. Surely someone would have reported seeing him. "This is a small town so everyone must have known who he is. Since he's a detective, if someone would have seen him they wouldn't have reported him as he wouldn't have been viewed as a suspicious person, would they? "

"In fact he could have used his position to his advantage and could have hidden critical information if he wanted to. " Naoto stated in her stoic manner as she started to think about all the possible links to the detective and to the killer. "Actually in regarding Detective Adachi... I'm not sure how to put this, but there is something that has been bothering me about him for quite some time now..."

"Hmm? What is it?"

"Never mind, it's probably just my imagination. There's no need for me to look into it for now..."

Just as Yosuke was about to push her for more information he felt the strength of the wind picking up. He also noticed that she was now shivering and realised it was about time for the two of the to go back inside. "Hey, Naoto. I think we've chilled out long enough, I think it's about time to go back, don't ya think?"

\-------++++-------++++-------++++-------++++

"Adachi-san!?"

"That can't be..!? I mean he came to escort Ms Yamano and-"

The group stared at Yukiko beyond belief. "What!? He was at your in where the announcer went missing!? "

Yukiko couldn't figure out why they were staring at her funny. "...Urm... When Ms Yamano was staying at our inn the media were swarming all over it. That's when Adachi-san arrived, saying he had been assigned to guard her, he told our waitresses that fame could be rough..."

" And you waited till now to tell us!?" Naoto seemed completely out of character, it was really unusual to see her lose her composed self. Yukiko couldn't say anything.

"Guard her..!? You mean he didn't spend the night there..?"

Chie seemed very uncomfortable around the tense atmosphere. "...I wonder if Adachi knew her personally..?" 

Kanji also started to think about Adachi as suspicious as well. "I dunno about that, but I did here that he tried to call out a girl in my class. I found out about it this afternoon while I was looking out for a new lead. But I thought, y'know, that's just how cops are. I didn't really think it was suspicious at the time, so I didn't realise it had anything to do with the case... "

Naoto could understand why they didn't say anything about this to her earlier, how were they supposed to know that it was important. "... Detective Adachi, he's the one who also questioned Saki-san on a numerous occasions. I heard it was because there was so little information at the time, but.. It's certainly unusual to question someone with as a strong of an alibi as her's multiple times, I mean there's only so much she knows. "

" ...So, " Chie asked curiously. "Do you think he had something else on his mind?"

" And that 'something' had to do with connecting the three victims to him. " Yosuke added. "Come to think of it we keep running into that guy a lot, in all sorts of places, even in Nanako's room. And every time he'd tell us what the police are doing before saying something like 'Opps, I said too much' and then rushes off. I'm starting to think that he only did that to throw us off the trail. "

"It would be no problem for him to deliver those messages to Senpai. He doesn't even need to sneak around, he could just walk up straight to the front door and no one would bat an eye. Not to mention he could destroy any evidence if he wanted to, after all he does have access." Rise said in agreement.

Yukiko's eyes went wide. "So...it really was detective Adachi..!?"

" We need to confirm this, what we know now is just speculations. " Yosuke said shaking his head. "We should as him about his side, he may know something vital in this case. "

Naoto reached for her phone in her pocket and went to dial a number. "Hello, this Naoto Shirogane. Something has occurred to me in the case and I would like Detective Adachi's viewpoint on it-" Her expression soured at the voice at the other end. " Huh? The transport..? That's happening right now!? Right, I see... Thank you so much. "

She hung up and placed her phone back into her coat pocket. "He's just left to go to the hospital in preparation for Namatame's relocation. We must head there at once!"


	19. Chapter 19

One of the nurses was discussing something with Adachi who was checking on her clipboard. As soon as he spotted them he turned around. 

"Oh, hey! What are you kids doing here? Oh right! Have any of you seen where Dojima went? They told me he snuck out of his room again..."

The nurse next to Adachi started to speak. "I assure you that we made it very clear to him several times that he needs to stay put, but he keeps on wandering of wherever he pleases..." The nurse took a deep sigh. "I'll have the other staff to look out for him, he couldn't have gone far. If he keeps on doing this his wounds won't ever heal." 

The group watched as she left in search of the other staff. "Geez, with Namatame finally relocated I was looking forward to going home..."

"So, he's been relocated." Naoto looked sternly at the taller man. "I've been wondering, you seem to be in a terrible hurry to get him out of this hospital."

Adachi looked at her slightly confused before he realised what she was asking him. "Huh? Oh, well, yeah. I mean we can't have that man around Dojima-san and Nanako-chan, can we? Didn't you guys think that as well? Besides, what are you guys doing in this part of the hospital? Nanako's in the other wing. You guys should be careful before Dojima-san finds you here. If he finds you again he'll start pestering you."

"...Adachi... Where's Namatame..?" Dojima appeared behind Adachi in his dressing gown and hospital slippers. "There's been a lot of noise today for some reason. "

Adachi seemed completely startled. "Dojima-san!? What are you doing here? Namatame's already been relocated. I've been looking for you to tell you that."

Dojima suddenly became outraged. "You did what!? Who authorised that!? I still have so much I need to ask him about!"

" G-Give me a break, Dojima-san... "

"Those murders have really been bothering me lately. His motives are shaky and his alibi is rock soild. We've closed a lot of loopholes on the basis of his testimony, but that part has still been nagging me... I'm starting to doubt his case." 

Adachi sighed. "Is this more of your 'detective intuition'? He's already been moved, so there's no point in nagging me about it now- " he turned back around to face the group. "-And you kids really should get home as well. Your getting in the way of police business."

"What's gotten into you today? It's so odd seeing you taking work so seriously..." Dojima said as he scanned over the other man. 

"CC'mon! I'm always giving 110% when it comes to work! You should get back to work too, Dojima. Your next current assignment: getting better as soon as possible! "

Dojima frowned slightly before realising that they were there as well behind Adachi. "Hm? What are you all doing here? "

"We came to confirm something, with Adachi." Yosuke responded. He looked over to Naoto before she nodded in his direction.

"What were you doing when Ms Yamano vanished Detective Adachi?" 

"Hm? When that announcer went missing..? I can't really say offhand for sure, bit it wasn't like I saw her or anything. That was months ago too, my memory is kind of hazy that far back..."

Yosuke decided to ask another question. "What can you tell us about Saki's interrogations. Why did you call her out to the station?" 

"Why wouldn't I question her? She did find a body after all. But she didn't know much about it, so I only asked her once or twice."

"What about when Yu Narukami went missing, what were you doing then?"

" Dojima's nephew..? I can't really say. We don't even know the exact time he went missing. Anything could have happened during that time. " Adachi glanced over at the rest of the IT. "Was that all you wanted to ask. Well I hoped that helped!"

Adachi tried to walk away but Yosuke quickly tried to stop him. "I do have one more question for you. What ever happened to those warning letters?"

" Warning letters? "

"Y'know, the ones that were delivered to his house. They're in police custody, correct?" Naoto said in a attempt to remind him.

He started to lose his composure and became slightly anxious. "Urrm... I don't really remember. "

Dojima grew angrier at him. "What do you mean you don't remember!? I gave it to you to take it to the crime lab for processing. You're telling me you forgot!? "

" Please don't yell at me... I'm really sorry..! It's just one thing lead to another and it just sorta slipped my mind. B-Besides, those were just a prank, wasn't it? " 

Adachi looked around and noticed everyone's unconvinced faces. "What are you all asking me this anyway!? Dojima you really need go back to your bed now, this is why you aren't getting any better! And do you kids have any idea what time it is!?"

Adachi tried to walk passed them but they refused to move for him. "I need to get back to the station, I need to report in."

" Just one more thing. " Naoto tried to ask him for one last question. "We know for certain that the three murders weren't Namatame's doing. Someone else killed them. Adachi-san... Do you have any idea who that might be?"

"I have no idea what you are talking about-"

" 'Cause we're kinda thinking it mighta been you." Kanji interjected.

"What!? Th-That's ridiculous! We already know Namatame's the one who put them in!"

Chie's eyes went wide with shock. "Wh-What did you just say..?" 

"Put them 'in'?" Dojima looked over at Adachi. "Do you know something about the methods of the murder..? Don't tell me you were serious about this 'T.v talk'..."

Naoto nodded her head as if she was agreeing to something she was thinking in her head. "I see... it finally makes sense now. To tell you the truth Adachi I had been fixated on something you said a while ago. Before I didn't know why, but now I understand why. Just a while after the accident when I read out the names on Namatame's diary a d said that even names that weren't released to the public were in it. You told me that 'that settles it then '. what did you mean by that 'settles it then'? At the time the police weren't even aware that there had been over attempted murders related to the case at the time. You had no reason to say such a thing. There had been countless examples of people who had been missing for a few days and yet when I read out all of the names you didn't even question it once. Odd that. What do you have to say for that Detective Adachi? "

He seemed really agitated at this point. "I said I don't know, okay!! I'm really busy right now so will you excuse me, please!" As soon as he saw an empty gap between Yukiko and Rise he made his escape down the hall.

"Wait! you son of a bitch!!" As soon as he took off Kanji rushed off to catch him. The others soon followed pursuit and followed him as he tried to make his escape.

Dojima too tried to follow them but he wasn't able to make it far before falling down. "...wait... Don't tell me it's true... I need to know what really happened..!" Before he could make his way back up the other nurses had found him and made him go back to his room against his own will.

\-------++++-------++++-------++++-------++++

The further he walked towards it the further it moved away.

"Wait! I need you to tell me where I am. Don't go..!"

The figure stopped moving.

He slowly moved himself towards the strange silhouette that was almost merged into the fog. As he dragged his legs closer he could start to make out more of the figure. It was a man no taller than him. It wore a black jacket and it's head was facing away from him. 

He was now only a few feet away from it and he could see its grey hair clearly. He didn't even need for it to turn around. He already knew what it looked like.

It looked exactly like him.

\-------++++-------++++-------++++-------++++

Adachi wasn't in Namtame's room either. "Geez, where is he, I saw him go this way." 

Kanji started to rub the back of his neck in frustration. "Dammit, where the hell did he go..!? "

"I've contacted security. Nobody has seen Adachi and no one has seen anyone leave on the security cameras." Naoto stated.

"That must mean that he must still be in the hospital." Yosuke replied.

Chie was puzzled. "But we looked everywhere for him and we couldn't find him anywhere. I really don't think that he is still in here, just saying. "

Yukiko started to think for a moment. If he didn't go out of the hospital doors and they couldn't find him anyway in the building, then that must mean that he found a different way of escape. "He hasn't left the ward yet..? I don't think that he did but-" She looked over to the large flat screen T.v in the corner. "He couldn't have..?"

Chie slowly nodded her head once. "I think so. If he's the killer then he should be able to go through. "

Yosuke definitely thought it as well. It was the only explanation. "We searched every inch of this place from top to bottom. There's no where else for him to hide. I don't think we could have missed him either. "

" He was cornered... " Naoto interjected. "It's highly probable that he fled though there. Even despite knowing the possible dangers, he doesn't want to be caught. I'm sure he thinks the punishment is much worse than whatever is in there. If he indeed shows up on the other side, that should prove beyond a doubt that he is the true culprit."

" Damn, so I guess we were right then... What should we do now? " Kanji said as he walked further into the room. 

"We should wait till tomorrow, guys." Yosuke announced to the group. "I know that we can't let him go, but it's too late at night and we might get badly hurt if we follow him now. We should rest up."

Rise also seemed to agree. "You're right, Yosuke. It we rush now we might mess up. Besides, we aren't 100% sure that he used this T.v, on top off it we don't even know where this one leads. We should go though the one in June's. And either way, I'm sure that despite being the killer he might not even be able to leave the T.v on his own. It'll be fine, just as we're ready for him, we'll crush him with one strike!"

\-------++++-------++++-------++++-------++++

Just after Yosuke went home to sleep he woke up in the velvet room once again. 

...but something felt really strange to him. For the first time neither Igor or Margaret wasn't there. Instead Teddie was in his bear suit and was sat on one of the seats across from him as his head hung low. He probably didn't notice Yosuke's presence. Yosuke soon heard Teddie's quiet voice.

" ...Where am I..? "

Teddie looked around the blue interior. "Yosuke!? Why are you here?"

It made Yosuke smile to see him again. How long has it been since he had left? "Y'know Teddie, I could ask you then same."

" This place really is weird. There is still so much I don't know about. " Teddie's expression suddenly deepened. "But I did realise something though...

... I've been thinking all this time, about who I really am. But in the end I couldn't find the answer... I was no one from the start. Humans live in the other world, and shadows live in this world. From the beginning... That's all there was to it."

Yosuke couldn't believe it. He was still going on about this? Was it that he felt uncomfortable to stay? Yosuke knew that he was sometimes a little too harsh on him like the time he stole a topsicle from work, but he didn't think that he'd take it seriously. Was it really his fault that Teddie no longer wants to stay with them..?

"You idiot! Everyone's be worried about you!" 

"You're really too kind, Yosuke. " Teddie let out a small smile, although it seemed to have been partly forced. 

"Y'know, that day at the hospital, I finally started to realise that I really can't do anything. As soon as I thought that, I lost consciousness... Then when I woke up I was inside the fog. 

Shadows can't stay in the human world. They aren't allowed. 

I walked round and round for so long, but there was nothing out there for me: And then I heard the sound of a car... But now I'm here. 

I remember lots of things now. My world is just shaped by human thoughts and emotions, one day a shadow of that world grew a conscious and awakened to it... But humans and shadows are still different entities. 

So he tried to desperately make himself forget what he truly was. He wanted to forget so badly, Yosuke! He wanted to forget so much... He just wanted people to like him. He even tried to change the way that he looked and made himself a bear."

" ...Teddie...I-"

"What the other Teddie said before, in the end, it was all true. 'No matter how much I search for myself, I won't find anything. Because there was nothing to begin with."

A few tears started to fall freely from his eyes. "I wish I never remembered, but I just had to didn't I? ...I'll probably just turn back into a regular shadow soon enough."

So that's it? He's just going to give up..? After everything thing they had been though he thought that he'd at least hold on to their friendship a little more. Was he really that repla-

"Yosuke, one day when you meet Sensei and Nana-chan in Heaven, tell them I'm sorry."

... That's right. Teddie had already left before she was resuscitated, he didn't see that she was still okay. God, no wonder Teddie was feeling so bad. He still thought that she was dead.

"She's still alive, Teddie."

"...!?"

"She came though, they were able to restart her heart. She's still here. "

It was hard for Yosuke to decipher Teddie's next expression. It was much easier to see it as a mixture of pain and relief mostly consisting of disbelief.

" R-Really!? " He stuttered out through loud sobs. "You're telling me the truth Yosuke!? I-I'm so glad..!"

Yosuke nodded and Teddie let out a big grin. There's the Teddie that he knew. "Hehe..! My heart feels so much lighter now! " He wiped away the last of his tears. "Although now... I'm kind of sleepy. "

He looked around the inside of the blue limo. "This place, it's so soothing. It's just like my world sort of, but yet it's so different. I wonder why we we brought here. Do you think it could be fate?"

Fate. Yosuke thought about that. Maybe it had been fate that had brought them together. He didn't really like the idea that his future would already be planned out forhim, but on the other side, it kind of gave him reassurance that everything was going to be just fine. 

Wasn't Yu fated to to save the world once? What had changed that? Maybe the old man had gotten confused and made a mistake. whatever it was, Yosuke was going to protect all of his friends no matter what.

Teddie sighed deeply. "I wonder what I'm supposed to do now..?"

For some reason Yosuke felt the urge to laugh. "Hey! Do start laughing at me, I really poured my heart out, you know!"

" Sorry, but really, I didn't realise you were that forgetful. "

Teddie looked slightly confused and offended. "What do you mean that I'm 'forgetful '...?"

"You promised that we were going to save Inaba together, remember? Nothing's changed since. Unless you intend on breaking your promise."

He quickly shook his head. "No! Never. Teddie doesn't break promises. It's just... Sometimes I wonder if I will ever be able to carry them out. There's still so much that I don't know how to do.

But,

I do know this: I'm glad that I met you."


	20. Chapter 20

"It's no use, I just can't find him, Kanji."

" It's okay, Rise. Please don't wear yourself out. "

Finding Adachi in the fog was way too hard for them, not because of the fact hat he wasn't in the T.v (because Rise definitely detected him inside a short while ago), but because the fog was ridiculously dense. They could barely see a few feet ahead of themselves despite wearing glasses. Finding Adachi was more of a challenge than they had anticipated.

"Geez, this fog makes it impossible for us to do anything." Chie said frustratedly.

"So that proves it then." Naoto said as she pushed her glasses further up her nose. "If he's here then it must mean that he really is the true culprit. His escape only proves it further."

Rise deactivated her persona. "When I'm using Himiko I start to sense this malicious aura everywhere... I can't really explain it. It feels completely different from the last time I was here. I think we really should hurry. "

"Our glasses are working on the fog on the other side too, that can't be good... I heard more people are falling ill because of it." Yukiko looked downwards at the white outlines on the floor.

" So, does that mean our worlds are getting jumbled up or somethin'..?" Kanji said trying to not convey his worry.

Rise fell to her knees bringing a mixture of concerned sounds around her. "Gee, Ted! Where are you when we need you the most..!?"

\-------++++-------++++-------++++-------++++

Her face was quietly still, she looked so peaceful as she slept. Teddie watched the slow rises of her chest.

" I came back for you.

But, I guess it really doesn't matter... I'm completely useless to you. I just wanted to say to that I'm sorry, for everything. I just hope one day you'll forgive me for what I have done. It's because of things like me this has happened to you. I'm so sorry... "

"Teddie..? "

Two small eyes were looking back at him. "It's you, Teddie..! I heard... Your voice. "

He stared at her in disbelief. "You told me... to 'hang in there'... So I did. I heard everyone else too."

"Nana-chan!? Hold on! I'll get the doctor!!"

A few minutes later by the time he had gotten the doctor she was already fast asleep. "It seems she's asleep again, she has been though a lot though. It must still be hard for her to stay awake for long periods of time."

Teddie looked back at the small girl as she slept. "Um.. She told me that she heard the sound of my voice."

The doctor smiled at the blond haired boy. "It could be that her miraculous recovery could have been that your voices managed to reach her. You know, even unconscious people are capable of hearing other's voices. In any case, there are still too many things we don't know about her or her condition and what caused it. We're doing our best, but it 's difficult when everything about her illness is completely unknown.

Well, if anything happens, please tell me." And with that he left the room.

"Unknown, huh. If I'm an unknown being, then the way I change is unknown too." He looked down at his hands before slowly clenching them. "So all I have to do... Is make them not unknown... Nana-chan's doing her best, and the others are fighting hard too..! I'm just a shadow, but Nana-chan cheered up when she heard my voice.

So what if I'm just a shadow..!? There must be something I can do! Yosuke was right. I just... Can't give up so easily..!"

He looked at Nanako one last time. "Hang in there, Nana-chan. I'll be back soon! For now I have something that I need to do."

\-------++++-------++++-------++++-------++++

Kanji slammed his fists onto the wooden table. "Dammit..! We came too far to just run into a dead end. "

Rise felt just as awful. "And we know that he's in there too..! What's wrong with me? My powers are completely useless!"

Everyone felt terrible. After everything they had worked so hard for, this was it? They were so far now, they can even see the end line. But no matter what they did they weren't able to cross it. Were they doomed that the killer will never be brought to justice..?

"Teddie!?" Rise shot straight out of her seat. When Yosuke looked there he was, hiding behind an old shop sign for some cheap ramen.

"Hey! You stupid little bear! Where the hell were you!? " Kanji yelled, almost scaring all the fur off of him.

Teddie looked at him guilty. "I-I'm sorry..."

Rise went up to Teddie and hugged him tightly. "You Idiot! Bad bear!! You're so late! Who do you think you are!?" Her angry face didn't last long before she bursted into a loud sob.

"R-Rise...everyone, I'm so sorry..." He tried to look everywhere but at her. " But...! I came back, I wanted to still help you guys..."

Kanji's frown softened slightly, but he still looked menacing as ever. "Do you know how much trouble you caused, You dumb bear!? Where the hell did you run off to!?"

Teddie avoided his gaze still trying to think of the beet thing to say to them without worrying anyone. "I-I figured out a lot of things, stuff about me... And that other place."

Everyone listened quietly as Teddie explained everything to them. He held back nothing as he felt that after everything he had put them though, they deserved to learn the truth. He told them about how he was just a shadow who happened to grow a conscious and that one day he just woke up on the other side. That he was nothing special and that he changed his form so that someone may like him. His world was only there to avoid chaos in their human world where all of mankind's suppressed thoughts are stored and take physical forms.

"A shadow..?" Chie looked and him partly confused. "You mean your one of those things we've been fighting?"

Teddie nodded his head. "Yup... Just like the ones you all know about. Shadows are suppressed human thoughts and emotions given form... Everyone has one inside of them. "

Chie was even more confused. "Wait... You say you're shadow, but you didn't you didn't attack us. And you kept telling us from the start that you want to bring peace and quiet back to your world, right?"

"Yeah... But in the end, I was just an ordinary shadow. Nothing special about me at all. I did everything I could until now to make my world peaceful again. But instead, the weird fog started seeping into your world too... I'm sorry, if only I was special, then maybe..." Teddie began to look just as he was the last time Yosuke had seen him.

" Its no big deal. "

"..?"

" I mean we weren't expecting much from you in the first place, after all." Yosuke said trying to cheer him up. "And about you being a shadow, well we pretty much figured you were something like that anyway."

" Huh!? What do you mean!? Here I am pouring out everything to you from the very depths of my heart and you say that you thought that I was something like that anyways!? No normal person could think that such a beautiful and handsome bear could be a shadow! "

"And?" Kanji said as he stood next to him. "What's so bad about being a shadow?"

"It's true that you may have been born that way." Naoto replied. "But now you possess the power of personas. A shadow is suppressed power... Once controlled by ego it becomes a persona. Doesn't it follow then? That you have developed your own ego..?"

"Oh!" Chie said in realisation . "Doesn't that technically mean that Teddie's human then?"

Now it was Teddie's turn to be shocked. "Really!? I'm the same as you guys..!?"

" Yep, you're just like us. You keep trying to figure out who you are, like all of us. You can't do much on your own, you aren't really that special. See? You're no different to the rest of us. "

"I'm so glad that I met you guys..."

"Hey! There's no need to cry all of a sudden..! " Kanji said as he placed his and on Teddie's shoulder. "By the way while you were gone, we managed to figure out who the real killer was. It was Adachi.

Teddie suddenly stopped moving as he started to process what he had just heard. He just couldn't believe it. "Adachi!? That total goofball..!? Woah... I wouldn't have guessed that at all. I guess I'm pretty blind to that sorta thing... " Teddie gave out a forced uncomfortable laugh. "But if you guys we close to him and you were unable to find him, I doubt I'll be of much use to you. "

"Like we said, we weren't expecting much from you." Kanji gave out head the smallest of smiles. "The thing is, it's hard to get pumped up without something nice n' fuzzy around."

" Yeah! What Kanji said..! " Yukiko cheered.

"Thanks you guys! It's been a while, but I'll do my best! Leave it this giant fuzzy bear!"

\-------++++-------++++-------++++-------++++

It's eyes were so cold, and yet they were glowing bright yellow.

It was such a strange thing to see yourself as if you were another person. He never really thought about how he must seem form another person's view. It was one thing to look in a mirror than looking at yourself face-to-face.

But why though..? Why was it that he had another him standing just a few feet apart from him in this weird but awfully familiar place of nothingness... Was it that he was really in the T.v world or was it that he was simply dreaming..?

As much as his reasoning tried to suggest he knew that was not the case. The pain in his side said too much. But then, he also couldn't explain why this 'thing' was here. Hallucination from blood loss..? He doubted it.

So that only meant that he really was in the other world and that this was really his own shadow. But that still didn't make much sense to him. He had Izanagi, he had his personas. There was no way that he had a shadow.

_Nghh..!_

The figure stuck him hard in his stomach. It burned more then any fire attack he had ever encountered. He barely managed to hold his feet firmly on the ground without falling once more. It gave him a small but harrowing grin.

**Looks like you're not so invincible after all.**


	21. Chapter 21

I'll try but... Rise-chan couldn't find him, I doubt someone else like me with a dried-up nose would be of much help. "

Teddie turned his head away from the Investigation group and started to sniff the air for any traces of another person. "Mmmm, I do smell him, but it's kind of hard to tell exactly where it's coming from..."

"So, you really can't find him..?" Rise looked at him slightly disappointed, Teddie was their last resort after all.

Teddie started to feel bad. "Urrrgh... When you look at me like that it makes me want to sniff him out no matter what..!" He walked a little further away from them.

"...

...

..?

I think I might be getting something..."

"Hey! Where are you going!?" Rise shouted as he took off ahead of the others.

They followed Teddie shortly afterwards and soon after walking for a little bit he suddenly stopped in front of them. "Why did you stop all of a sudden, Teddie..?"

Teddie started to mumble something quietly under his breath. "I think it's definitely over this way."

" Are you sure Adachi is really down there? " Kanji replied.

"Yeah... Yeah, I'm pretty sure it's him." Teddie said sounding quite sure of himself.

Yosuke looked off into the distance where he stood. However, just like with everything else he could hardly see beyond a mere several feet because of how dense the fog was up ahead. Although it did seem quite familiar to him. He thought back to the first time he had entered the T.v with Yu and Chie. They had accidentally fallen inside the large T.v at June's and they had wandered off in search of a way out. Along the way they had come across a strange room filled with cut out posters that had been torn and shredded of a famous enka singer. If he had remembered correctly he was sure that this path should lead up to Ms Yamano's room.

\-------++++-------++++-------++++-------++++

**How does it feel? The pain I mean.**

_Nnngghh!!_

**Don't give me that look, It just breaks my heart to see you like that.**

"I-I... "

**No need to answer, I already know. After all I'm you, remember?**

" Why... Why am I here..? Where is this..? "

It's expression changed as if it was thinking about something. The copycat looked away from him and looked into the surrounding fog as if it was trying to search for something. He had no idea what it was trying to look for. The air was too heavy and it hurt even to lift his head from off the floor.

**I'm sure you know, look around you.**

"But... There's nothing there..."

**Exactly. There is nothing out here. This is your place after all.**

_What..? What was it talking about?_

**Don't you get it? There's nothing out there for you. There's nothing there for us!**

It was lying. Of course he had plenty of things out there for him. He had his friends, their undying loyalty. He had way more than what most people have. They had even gone through the risk of searching for a killer together. They trusted him with all their lives. His friends were always there for him.

**Always? Give me a break. Like they'll always be by your side, they're all complete fakers.**

"TAKE THAT BACK! DON'T YOU DARE TALK ABOUT THEM LIKE THAT-

**And what? Are you going to attack me for saying that? Please, you can't even stand up let alone use your persona. How can you anyway? You can't do anything to defend yourself while I'm here, I'm the true you. Even all that medicine won't do you good for long.**

How was it that something so twisted could be apart of him? He never thought like that. He would never think bad about his friends like that.

**Sure, they do think so highly of you now. But what then? What about when you leave and hop back on that train? We'll go back to our old lonely life away from everything we've worked so hard for. Back to your unloving parents, back to that cold, dark room where we've been locked so long.**

**I'm sure you remember it well, don't you?**

"Even if I have to move away they'll still be my friends, that won't ever go away..!"

**Of course they'll stay in contact with us over the phone and maybe send you a post card or two if you're lucky.** **But you'll know that won't last for long. Once this case is over what use do you have left for them? They'll move on with their lives eventually. No use for us to drag them down, you're only just going to hurt them.**

"N-No, that isn't true..! "

**What makes you so sure about that?**

Its smile eventually fell from its twisted face leaving behind a empty expressionless look. It walked closer to the other him and stood above him. A small laugh escaped from the figure above before Yu felt a searing pain as it stood on the back of his hand. It pressed its foot harder into him causing him to gasp out in pain.

**Let's play a game shall we?**

**Let's see just how important you really are to them.**

\-------++++-------++++-------++++-------++++

It was just as he expected. The path that Teddie lead them on led straight to the same strange room. As the Investigation team went inside they could already sense that they were not alone.

" That worthless bitch..! I noticed her first, and she just had to run off and have a damn affair! "

They could tell straight away that it was definitely a man's voice, no doubly Adachi's. By the far side of the room next to the window Adachi was stood near the green curtains. His face was illuminated by the yellowish tinted light from outside the window that shone inside. He no longer had his usual cheerful expression, instead it was replaced by a virulent frown. He stood there watching as the group made their approach.

" Oh, it's just you kids. How very persistent of you. " He raised his hands to slowly clap as if mockingly praising them. His actions clearly pissed off Yosuke.

"GIVE IT UP, ADACHI!!"

"I don't know what you're talking about."

This guy was still denying even when he was backed up in a corner? There is nothing left for him to deny, there was no way he would be able to talk himself out of this one. "You know exactly what I'm talking about. Your not lying yourself out of this one, dammit! Hell, just being here proves it!!" 

Adachi just stood there as he watched Yosuke lose his composure. It made him want to hit him so hard at how cocky he was being. Who the hell did he he was!? " Answer us! You're the one who threw Ms Yamano into the T.v, aren't you!? "

As if on cue, the older man bursted out in hysterics. "It was an accident. She started struggling... What else was I supposed to do?"

So it was true, he really was the true killer. The mastermind behind everything that has happened in the past year. "I called her out into the lobby to ask her something, and then she started going hysterical on me..! She started insulting me for no good reason when I didn't do anything to hurt her, so she had to be punished."

" So you killed her. "

Adachi let out a short chuckle. "The T.v just happened to be behind her. I was only just scare her a little bit, but that fucking bitch decided to flail her legs around and she fell in. It's her fault that it fucking happened. Good thing for me no one else was around that night."

Yukiko lowered her head. "T-That... Happened in our lobby..?"

" I learnt about the Midnight Channel through some rumour. You hear a lot of stories like that on the force. But it was pure coincidence that I touched the screen and discovered my powers. I knew straight away that this was going to be interesting..! "

"So you tested it out on her, just because it was convenient for you, wasn't it?"

Adachi shook his head. "Nah. It was nothing like that. I just wanted to punish her for being a little bitch, it just happened to be an opportunity to try a few things. I didn't initially mean for anyone to die. That was just a bonus. That slut and dippy high school girl struggled for no reason."

Like he really didn't mean to kill anyone, there was no way to justify murder. Yosuke couldn't believe some of the shit that was spilling from this guys mouth. "So you were also responsible for Saki-senpai's death too!"

" Oh yeah, I forgot that was her name or something. At first I just called her in because of work-related reasons, seeing she was the one that found the body and all. And so naturally, if there was any chance she'd seen something, I needed to know, right? So I just tried being nice to her as well and then she tried attacking me! "

Yeah right! Yosuke doubted that she'd attack him for no reason. This guy was clearly trying to avoid making himself look bad. "It was a lot easier the second time. High school girls are thinner, y'know?

" You're fucking sick!! "

The older man looked over at Adachi. "C'mon, gimme a break. I didn't know it was dangerous inside the T.v. It's not like I really killed them or anything. Those two were just gold diggers, they got exactly what they deserved. I didn't do anything wrong at all."

Yosuke approached Adachi and grapped him roughly by the collar and shook him. "Like hell you didn't do anything wrong. You knew full well when your pushed Mayumi Yamano inside that people die in there!!"

Adachi managed to shake free from Yosuke's grasp and started to cough heavily. "...So what if I knew? "

"So how did you trick Namatame?"

The older man shrugged his shoulders. "Nah, he called the police station himself in the middle of the night, just after they found that Saki girl's body.The rest of the force had their had their hands full with a double homicide, and it just happened to be me that picked up his call."

" Namatame said that the police force refused to take him seriously, you were responsible for that, then." Naoto stated bluntly.

"Quite the contrary. If anyone else had picked up, you think they would have believed him? But I believed him though. I just told him that if these 'things' were happening, that he should take it into his own hands since there was nothing the police could do. That he should take them somewhere where they could never be found. It just so happen that he chose to hide them inside of the T.v. Isn't it funny? Out of everyone who could have received Namatame's call, it had to have been me. Talk about luck!"

"Why..? What reasons could you have had for doing that!?"

Adachi scratched the back of his head as he tried to come up with the best answer. "Reasons..? None, really. I could do it that's all. And it was fun... I guess that was my reason."

"So you tried murder people just for the fun of it!?" Chie exclaimed in horror.

"C'mon all I did was put people in there. Their own regrets killed them. And Namatame did most of it anyway. I had nothing to do with any of you. "

"You're just dodging the blame!" Kanji was furious at how he was still not taking up responsibility that was clearly his. 

"Yeah? Then how would you prove it? 'He puts people inside T.v's?' Come on, the police aren't that stupid. I do admit though. I didn't think any of you would be able to track me down. I guess it would have been kind of boring though if you didn't, like that Kubo kid. "

Naoto figured his disappearance might not have been Namarame's doing, his kidnapping didn't seem quite as consistent as all of the others. "I suspected that there was something off about his course of action. I don't understand. Why did you do it when you could have easily panned off the blame to him. "

Adachi gave her a small grin. "Because if he did then that would have meant that Namatame would stop putting people inside the T.v, then that wouldn't have been fun anymore. Plus it had been awhile since the last time I had put someone in, all I had to do was turn the lights off in the interrogation room and push him in quick so that he wouldn't see anything while it happened, no one would have know that I had done it. Your friend was the most fun when he was thrown in, he put up quite a struggle, y'know."

So he was also responsible for Yu's death. Yu had even invited him inside his house and had made him dinner countless of times. This is how he had repaid him? Was it because he had ignored the warning letters that he had slid under his door because he didn't want this sicko to murder mo people. It make Yosuke feel completely sick. 

"What he ever do to you..!? "

Honestly it wasn't my intention at first to go after him. Some kid had been causing a lot of trouble recently, and the officers down at the station kept letting him off lightly. I just figured I'd give him a little bit of punishing, and I brought a little something just in case since my gun was left back at the station. But then that brat just had to play hero and let him get away. So I had to defend myself in some way, he attacked me..! 

I only stabbed him once and he started acting like it was the end of the world over some small cut, so I had to make him quiet. And you know, seeing as he was bloody and all I didn't think it was a good idea to leave him bleeding everywhere and there was the risk that he could have seen me so I had no option but to get rid of him. He was still alive when I put him in."

" So this was all a big game for you!? I'll never forgive you, you fucking bastard!!! " 

The detective didn't flinch once.

"You can keep your forgiveness. Our whole world will probably become just like this place soon enough anyways. "

"..!?"

"Didn't you notice? The fog is leaking out. Everything on that side is pretty much screwed. The two worlds will merge soon, and they'll be no difference anymore between the 'two sides '." 

"What kind of crap is this guy taking about..!? " Kanji grew annoyed and went to hit him, but to his suprise his fist went straight through.

"W-What the hell..?"

"I don't think that's his real body. " Rise said as she witnessed his body beginning to fade. "The real Adachi must be somewhere else..!"

Teddie was completely confused. "But this guy feels different from an ordinary shadow... It doesn't seem like it's going berserk. "

"By the end of the year the whole of Inaba will be engulfed by the fog. Soon this place will become reality. There's nothing you can do to stop it, the end is inevitable. "


	22. Chapter 22

As soon as Adachi gave his speech the shadow disappeared leaving the investigation group behind to put together what he was planning.

"That stuff about our worlds colliding together and this place becoming reality, was he being serious..?" Yosuke muttered as he stared at the place where the shadow was once stood.

Naoto put her fingers on her chin as she tried to process the facts that Adachi had told them. "The rest of his confessions were consistent. We should best proceed under the assumption that what he said was true."

Rise frowned. "I'm not sure why, but it feels as if he's become much stronger after coming here. "

Kanji rubbed the back of his neck in frustration. "So our worlds are really going to end up colliding with each other."

Chie nodded her head slightly before she remembered something that her had told them. "Didn't he say that it will happen by the end of this year!? What happens then!?"

Teddie gave Chie a worrying expression. "I think that this world will eventually engulf the human world. The people in town are acting weird. It's like the shadows that emerged from people went berserk. If the fog gets any thicker and this town is completely shut off from the outside world, then... it might have shadows running lose all over the place just like over here."

Rise's eyes shot open and stared at the blue bear in disbelief. "You mean, everyone is going to turn shadows..!?"

" We have to stop this..! "

They were right, after everything they had done to get the this point they weren't going to let Inaba fall into despair. "Let's end this!"

Suddenly as if on cue, a red portal appeared and left a massive gaping hole in one of the walls. Rise walked up to it against the groups protests to investigate.

" I think this is a path we can take. I can definitely sense his presence through here... I think he's trying to taunt us. "

"Bring it on!" Kanji shouted out loud as he ran up to the portal. "I'm going to kick his ass!!"

Naoto put her hand up to stop him from entering. "We don't know what is going to be in there. I suggest we should prepare ourselves first. We don't even have our weapons with us right now."

Chie looked at Naoto slightly annoyed but she knew she had a point. They would be at a great disadvantage if they charged straight on in. She doubted that it would lead straight to him anway, he was playing a game right now, it would shorten the fun after all. "I'm kind of worried by what he means by 'the end of the year', but right now is not the time to freak out. We should come back for him, but when we do we're going to come back for him hard!"

\-------++++-------++++-------++++-------++++

The path was narrow and the sky was an unnatural crimson. The pathway was crumbling away and twisted as it lead into the clouded horizon. Old distorted street signs were scattered everywhere as well as yellow police tape that entangled almost everything they laid their eyes on.

After walking along the seamlessly endless path they had come across their target. They had made sure that they were well prepared this time. Yosuke had spent the last two days stocking up on medical supplies and equipment. He had saved up a lot of his money during is work shifts at June's and when Yu had left Dojima let the group take what they wanted from his room. Surprisingly, his room was filled with assembled models and boxes where he hadn't been bothered to put away. Most of them were filled with potions and weapons, most of which he had never seen before. They had also found a large wad of cash under his bed which was more than enough to support the team for at least a few good more months.

Adachi stood and watched them and gave them another sardonic clap as they neared. "Wow, I'm surprised that you made it this far. I thought that you would have given up by now."

" Why wouldn't we!? " Kanji growled. "You're just gonna kill more innocent people!!"

Adachi sighed. "The whole world has gone to shit anyway, and anyone is hardly 'innocent' these days. Besides it's the world that really kills them, isn't it? This world reflects people's thoughts, which then wouldn't that mean: The REAL culprits is everyone on the outside, including you..! "

" TO HELL WITH THAT!! You pushed them in fully knowing that what you were doing was pure murder! If that's not a crime, then what is!? "

The older man started to laugh hysterically. "How so self-righteous you are..!"

Chie became irritated at how sure he was in those corrupted words of his. "How can you say this..! Aren't you a police officer!? Out of everything you could have chosen to be, you specifically chose to join the police!?"

"Please, don't make me laugh. Just because someone joins the police doesn't make them 'just'. Y'wanna know why a joined..? Maybe it was so I could legally carry a gun, that's all..! You'll actually find a lot of cops like that, surprisingly enough. I thought it would be fun too, but to tell you the truth it was nothing but, everyone treated me like garbage! I make one tiny mistake and they all got on my case and sent me to a washed out town! I was bored shitless until I got this power. "

Kanji felt like spitting directly into the man's face. "You don't care what's going to happen, do you!?"

" Let's be honest, there's nothing really great about that world anyway. Is it so bad if it gets erased? It's just completely dull and annoying. No one accepts that's the way things are... They're just stuck with it because they can't deny it either. Those who succeed in life were born with something called talent, and if you don't have that then your nothing! Wouldn't it be better if that kind of world was wiped away..? "

" Like hell that's true!! "

Adachi frowned deeply. "Brats like you are so damn naive. You miss me off! Listen, you may have dreams and ambitions for the future, but that's only because you don't know the real truth about reality..! But one one day you'll start to see the boxes that you are put in that you'll be trapped in for the rest of your lives once you start to grow up. "

"No,you listen here!" Kanji yelled without a second thought. "Look if you want to disappear, then go ahead. But don't you dare drag the rest us with you!! Have you ever thought about what we want!?"

Adachi raised his arms to cover his ears with his palms. "Stop yelling, punk. I understand you're all afraid and gotta act tough an' all to cover it up, but Geez. I'm talking from experience. Once everything turns into shadows... They'll keep on living, oblivious to the world around them. So how is this any different from the way things are now? This will make everything easier for everyone...

Isn't it better to live a peaceful lie than a painful truth..?"

A strange back fog began to seek out from within his body, simular to the fog that had seeped out from within Namatame. "I thought that I could just leave you guys be, but you're all like a plague. I'll have to get rid of you all!!"

From behind him a tall figure appeared. It was a persona. They all stood there completely shocked. How could someone like him be able to use persona, wasn't the only people that should be able to are persona users..!? Adachi used their shock to to his advantage and casted Magarudyne on them.

It didn't make any sense. When Yosuke looked at the persona he noticed an undoubtable resemblance to Izanagi, although this one was distorted and glowed red. Izanagi... That used to be Yu's first persona, the one that had saved him from his own despair.

Not letting him have another attack, Yosuke quickly slashed one of his cards and summoned Rangda. He casted Agidyne dealing heavy fire damage against him. Naoto attacked him next and casted Blight with her persona Sukuna-Hikona in a failed attempt to poison him. Chie also tried to kick him but she ended up missing.

Adachi only laughed at her attempt and casted Heat Riser which increased his defence. Teddie used his claws to cut him taking off a small amount of damage. Naoto casted Megidola and took a fair chunk of health from him. Yosuke then summoned Ippon-Datara and used it to cast Mamudo.

"Careful, he's immune to light and darkness attacks." Rise announced as she assessed the suited man.

Adachi then attacked them with Atom Smasher making Chie collapse. Yukiko quickly revived her with her own persona using up some of her energy. Yosuke slashed him with his blades and slashed his cheek.

"Damn brats! I'll make sure that you will all perish..!"

Kanji used his persona to use Matarukaja to increase his friends attacks. Teddie then used an ice attack dealing a fair amount of health from him. Adachi tried attacking but it was blocked, and so instead he silenced Naoto making it so she couldn't fight.

Yosuke then attacked him with fire making the other man clutch his arm. "Dammit! You're all such a pain in the ass! I'll kill you, just like I did those other ones!" He pulled out his gun and shot at him but missed.

The silence on Noato wore off and she used her persona to cast Megidola again. Teddie swiped at him again and took almost all of Adachi's remaining health. Just before he could attack them one last time Yosuke electrocuted him with his persona.

Adachi slowly fell to his knees in defeat. "Damn... This is lame... Oh well, I guess it doesn't matter in the end. Our world is going to disappear, no matter what..! I don't have anywhere to go back to anyways. Everyone's going to become shadows soon enough -

NNGHH..!! "

Rise and the others stood there and watched in horror as he started clawing at his throat as if he was suffocating and was desperately trying to gasp for air. "W-what the..!? What's happening to him!?"

  
  


His body raised off from the ground and his head that was once hung low raised up. **" All humans will become shadows." **

His body raised up further.

**"And I shall descend upon the United world as the master of order. "**

"Guys, I don't think that he is Adachi anymore..! " Rise said in pure panic. "It feels like a completely different person!"

**"Both this world and yours will be covered in this endless fog. it will be the peace that mankind has longed for. You cannot escape. It is inevitable."**

"Who are you?" Naoto said as she looked up from above her glasses trying to mask her own fear.

**" I... Am Ameno-Sagiri. I was born from mankind, ruler of the fog. Do what you will, nothing will change. You played your part well but now it is time for it to come to an end.**

"Why are you doing this..!?"

**"This is what mankind wished for. Mankinds desires, are my desires. Therefore there is no need for you to resist."**

"Like hell!" Chie stared straight into his eyes. "We'll just use our powers to beat the heck outta you, and it will be all over for you!!"

It gave out a small chuckle. **"It was I who made it poss for you to attain such power. That is what allowed you to enter this world, and you have done very well since."**

"So you're the reason why people were able to enter the T.v..!? Then, the Midnight Channel... that was your doing!?"

**"Humans fail to see things the way that they truly are. They chose to see only what they want to see. I only acted as a support in this."**

Yosuke didn't know what this thing was before him, but if it thought that he would surrender then it must have been really stupid. "Pfff, 'your desires are mankind's desires'? What about us? Since when have we ever asked for you to destroy our world!? We've been fighting and fighting to stop that from happening!!"

**"Yes, I did not foresee that. I once envisioned your friend to stand against me, against mankind's wish. I thought that once he was removed then your world can finally become at peace.**

Their eyes went wide. Yosuke finally understood why his partner's case had been so unusual. It was because he had been cheating.

**It appears I have misjudged you. But I will not be defeated."**

His were were glowing the same sickening yellow they had encountered many times before. A thick black fog discharged from his body and and engulfed the air before them. When the fog cleared away a large eyeball emerged from the murky waters. The eye soon opened and revealed one large colourful pupil.

**To defy me is a senseless act which goes against your world's wishes. Now, let everything vanish into the sweet fog of illustration.**

Teddie jumped in fear. "Gaah! It's huge..!"


	23. Chapter 23

Another lighting strike aimed at Yosuke. He was completely worn out at this point. His felt as if his mind was slipping away from his body. He couldn't move much at this point and so the lighting slipped through his barriers.

It hurt.

It hurt way too much.

But... But he couldn't give up.

With the very last of his energy he pulled himself to his feet from off the ground. He stared at the card between his two fingers before finally tearing it into two. A whirl of winds shoot out from Jiraiya's palms and aimed straight into the centre of its eye.

Its eyelid hung lowly and looked down at Yosuke with all of his friends not that far behind him.

**"I see... Your powers are strong...**

**Power... Comes from the heart....**

**You mortals have proven to me true human potential.**

**Very well. I'll lift the fog I once laid, and you shall return to your world. I'll interfere with no more human matters. But remember:** **Mankind's wishes, are my wishes.**

**If mankind so wishes, Ill return at any time. For I am always watching...**

**Always.**

It faded off into a bright warm light. Adachi's real body soon appear and was slowly lowered to the ground bellow.

Chie walked closer to where he laid. "Do you think that thing was controlling him?"

Naoto brushed off some of the dirt that covered the front of her clothes. "Who can really say? I believe it was still partly his own intentions as well."

" So that's it, huh... " Adachi muttered as he laid motionless on the crumbled floor. "Fine, live how you want. If you think you have the power to change the future, go ahead. But in the end all you'll ever do is make people suffer further.

Yosuke shook his head. "Everyone has the power to change the future. It may not be perfect, but it at least gives us a meaning for us to exist. "

Adachi moved his hands and placed them on his chest. "I don't care about anything anymore... Just leave me be, the shadows will get me soon enough. You came here to kill me didn't you..?"

"No, we didn't come here to do that at all. If we left you here dying... And a dead body appears. Then what? What would that accomplish for anyone..? Your stupid game is over, we're taking you back now. "

He looked down into his eyes. "Live and face your punishment... That's how it works in our world. I'm sure you know that well by now ."

Adachi gave faint smile. "Right... Whatever. It's not like I can resist anyway."

Naoto nodded her head. "Let's go back, Yosuke. "

\-------++++-------++++-------++++-------++++

The stretcher carried away Adachi and lead him to the back of the ambulance. The June's store was filled with numerous officers and nurses walking back and forth inside. 

They were asked multiple questions most of which Yosuke couldn't answer, however, Naoto took most of the burden in answering them as she knew that most of them were in no state of answering them. A few medical workers also went up to the Investigation team and examined them, but had found nothing serious apart from a few cuts and scratches.

After they had given their statements there was no reason for them to stay. It was evening and the sun was almost about to set. But for the first time in a long time they could finally see the sky in its true colours. 

Chie jumped up in glee. "Look! It's finally gone, there's no more fog..! Isn't it amazing or what..!?"

Yukiko smiled along with her. "Yeah, it really is gone. It really is amazing..."

Kanji was suprised to hear a sniffling sound from Rise behind him. "Hey... Are you alright there Rise...?"

"No, no. I'm alright. It's just so bright... It's been so long since I've seen the sky so beautiful. I one just took it for advantage , but now... It means everything to me."

Yosuke agreed. He won't ever admit it but he would be partly lying if he said that he didn't feel the least bit teary.

They all put their hands together and cheered loudly before they left to home for the day to finally rest after their biggest and longest fight they had ever had to overcome.

When they splitted Yosuke took his own way home with a rather annoying Teddie who dragged along behind him. For once it was nice to walk home with him and have him do all of the talking as he just listened.

\-------++++-------++++-------++++-------++++

That night Yosuke had a dream.

He was surrounded in a white warming light. Yu was smiling there and he was with all of his friends laughing, Saki-Senpai was there too. For once, everyone was so carefree and happy. 

Yosuke never felt more at peace.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> End of part one.


End file.
